Al-Falah cooperates with renowned U.S. partner
Al-Falah cooperates with renowned U.S. partner
JAKARTA (JP): An Islamic preschool, which combines Islamic
teachings with an international education standard, was
introduced in Cibubur, East Jakarta, on Friday. It is the first
of its kind in Indonesia.
In this program, the Al-Falah preschool is cooperating with
the renowned Creative Preschool in Tallahassee, Florida, which is
a national model preschool in the United States.
Al-Falah has also hired Nadine Hoover Mandolang, an education
consultant from the U.S., who also gives consultation to the
Primary Education Quality Improvement Project at the Ministry of
Education and Culture.
Under the cooperation, teachers from Al-Falah are trained on
childhood development and education at special courses from the
Creative Preschool.
Al-Falah's headmaster, Nibras O.R. Salim, said Friday that
the school integrated seven centers required for educational
development of children, especially for those between three years
and six years of age.
She said the centers had been designed for each age
development, so the children can learn to optimize their
abilities 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
children can learn movement, rhythm and mathematics as well."
Mooseno, Al-Falah's foundation director, said that the
preschool, despite the implementation of international
educational standards, is most importantly based on Islamic
teachings.
Dr. Pamela C. Phelps, owner and director of the Tallahassee
Creative Preschool said that through the partnership, her school
provides advice on child education and development to Al-Falah.
"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 Phelps, who obtained her Ph.D from Florida State
University majoring on early childhood development, preschools
and playgroups hold an important role in influencing child
development.
"Children from three years to four years of age do not have an
understanding of the activities they play. For example, when they
draw something they do not have any meaning," she said.
Phelps said that preschools and playgroups are institutions
which professionally work to help push early age development as
soon as possible.
"The reason is that when we educate children by the time
they're on the elementary school age, it would be too late
because they have already formed their own understanding," she
said.
Citing an example, Phelps said that when children were given
the chance to explore something they would think that reading is
a fun thing to do, but those who were pushed to read by
memorizing letters would stop doing it because they think it is
not fun.
"It's just something they have to do," she said. (12)