Al-Falah blends int'l education, Islam

By Listiana Operananta

JAKARTA (JP): There is something special about this open classroom. It does not look like any ordinary classroom in the country. The room is filled with neatly arranged colorful toys and blocks. There is a TV set and some musical instruments in one corner and a doll house in another. There are also miniature household equipment and tools we use in everyday life.

The room is also filled with the sound of children talking to their teachers and singing songs.

Welcome to Al-Falah, an Islamic preschool which combines Islamic teaching with an international standard education. Located in Cibubur, East Jakarta, Al-Falah preschool is working in cooperation with the renowned Creative Preschool in Tallahassee, Florida, a national model preschool in the U.S.

The cooperation involves teachers from Al-Falah being trained in childhood development and education at special courses conducted by the Creative Preschool.

The Al-Falah principal, Nibras Salim, said that the school integrated seven centers required for the educational development of children aged between three and six years.

She said the centers have been designed to enable the children to optimize their learning ability and creativity.

"The system is unique because it encourages students to be more creative," Nibras said.

For example, she said, there is a musical center where the children can learn movement and rhythm, as well as mathematics.

Mooseno, the Al-Falah foundation director, said that the preschool, despite the implementation of an international educational standard, is based on Islamic teaching.

"We want our children to have the opportunity to learn and at the same time have some fun at school, but we also want them to have a strong understanding of their religion, which is the most important thing," he said.

Dr. Pamela C. Phelps, owner and director of the Tallahassee Creative Preschool, said during her visit to Al-Falah that her school provides Al-Falah with advice on children's education and development.

"But, of course Al-Falah has its own way to implement what kind of programs it wants, with Islamic teaching and the government curriculum as its base," she said.

According to Dr. Phelps, who obtained her Phd. in early childhood development from the Florida State University, preschools and playgroups have an important influence on childhood development.

"Children from three to four do not have an understanding of the activities they play. For example, they like to play with scissors but they do not really understand the function of the tool," she said.

Dr. Phelps said that preschool and playgroup can help stimulate early age development of children.

"If we educate children when they're at the elementary school age, it is too late. They have already formed their own understanding," she said.

In preschool children learn to read in a fun way which can encourage their reading habit. This differs from formal elementary school where they might be pushed to read by memorizing letters.

"They would stop reading because they think it's not fun, it's just something they have to do," she said.

There is no doubt that children have lots of fun learning at Al-Falah, but some parents might not see the fun in paying the high fees. They have to pay Rp 5 million enrollment fee for the two-year preschool education and Rp 300,000 monthly fee.