AIS students motivated to exel

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Sandy Lokas could not utter a word in English when he registered at the Australia International School (AIS) in Kemang, South Jakarta, three years ago.

Now the 17-year-old is one of the school's top graduates and near the top of the recently released University Admission Index (UAI).

The UAI is used to determine admission to Australian and international universities.

One-third of AIS students in Indonesia, according to the school, scored over 90 percent on the UAI.

"Our 30 recent graduates are from various nationalities. At least 10 of them graduated with scores of over 90 percent in the UAI. And the great news is that the two top-scoring students are Indonesians," AIS communication director Julie Hilton told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

Sandy scored a 93.30 and classmate Henry Santosa scored a 92.45 on the UAI.

Thanks to these impressive scores, Sandy has been accepted at the School of Banking and Finance at Griffith University in Queensland, Australia, while Henry is now studying information technology in Singapore.

"In fact, most of our students are accepted at prestigious universities abroad," Hilton said.

Both Sandy and Henry attributed their success to AIS' unique learning environment, educational approach and its teachers.

"I used to study at a local school and noticed a huge difference when I came to AIS. It's such a supportive learning environment and the teachers are so fantastic. They really make you want to try your best," Sandy said.

Hilton said the school, which currently has about 600 students from elementary school to high school on four campuses in Jakarta, offered a multicultural approach to learning that took into account the diverse backgrounds and experiences of the students.

"We accept students regardless of their backgrounds -- including religion, race or ethnicity -- and try to focus on them individually. We also have an extraordinary English program to cater to such a diversity of backgrounds," she said.