Aussie family adapts to 'pesantren' life

Aussie family adapts to 'pesantren' life

Duncan Graham, Contributor, Surabaya

Like any good Aussie lad, Simon Welsh, 11, plays a straight bat.
But that doesn't stop him falling for a googlie tossed by his
sister Eloise, 8. To the critical observer of backyard cricket
he's clearly out, leg-before-wicket, though it's true a passing
kitten obstructed his line of sight.

Inevitably there's a protest; it should have been a no-ball.
But everyone else in the house is too busy to umpire. The
neighbors are nonplussed and the dispute fizzles out as the cat
is not prepared to take the blame.

In the background the TV broadcasts news from Down Under. Dad
and Mum discuss their kids' school assignments round the kitchen
table. It looks like typical Australian suburbia. The only
giveaway is the maid at the sink.

That's a luxury language teachers Alistair and Julienne Welsh
didn't have in their seaside house in Torquay, Victoria. That
was the home they left for two years to work for Australian
Volunteers International in East Java.

Their workplace is now a big Nahdlatul Ulama pesantren
(Islamic boarding school) near Probolinggo, a town best known as
a base for exploring nearby Mt Bromo.

In Australia Alistair lectured in Indonesian at Deakin
University and Julienne taught Indonesian at the Christian
College in Geelong. Now the couple use their considerable
abilities and experience to help Indonesian teachers of English
lift their skills and develop resources.

Any Australian teaching Indonesian in Australia would have no
credibility if they hadn't studied, worked or lived in Indonesia.
Yet thousands of Indonesians who teach English across the
archipelago have never been outside their country.

This is not their fault. The huge imbalance in wages, job
conditions and cost of living make travel to an English-speaking
country difficult for most Indonesian teachers, while Australians
are restricted only by their will.

"I first got interested in Indonesian at high school through
an enthusiastic teacher I had for six years," said Alistair. "I
learned then -- and it remains true today -- that there's no
substitute for a good teacher.

"I pursued Indonesian at university then spent three months in
Yogya and got hooked.

"Later I spent time teaching in Maluku. We then went to the
Cocos Islands (an Australian possession south of Java where the
population is mainly Malay) as teachers."

The couple met in Darwin where Julienne was coordinating
education exchange programs between Australia's Northern
Territory and East Indonesia. So, after so much experience, why
leave secure and pleasant jobs in Australia and move north?

"It's definitely not a CV-boosting exercise," said Alistair.
"But after 10 years out of the country we thought it necessary to
come back and recharge the batteries, particularly as so much has
changed in government, politics and use of technology."

"We also needed to build our understanding of Islamic
education," said Julienne. "In the past I've been heavily
involved in administration and this is a great chance to get back
to grassroots learning.

"Although we've been to Indonesia many times we've never
previously worked in a pesantren. Fortunately the one we've been
invited to is very progressive and welcoming. I dress modestly
but I'm not required to wear a headscarf.

"We've been surprised at the students' discipline and
enthusiasm, and the campus facilities. These include a well-
equipped language laboratory."

The pesantren has about 7,000 students. It does not allow TV
on campus, so the students don't get the chance to see English
language programs that many Indonesians use to pick up speech
patterns and vocabulary.

Compensation comes through a FM radio station run by staff and
students. This broadcasts the popular Kang Guru English language
program produced under an AusAID (Australian Aid) grant.

A major problem for Indonesian teachers of English has been
the lack of suitable resources. Textbook pictures of well-rugged
little blond kids building snowmen before the village church
don't exactly resonate with pesantren students in the tropics.

So, in association with English lecturer Sugiono, the
assistant principal of communications at the pesantren, the
Australians are designing and writing textbooks specifically for
Islamic students.

"Building student motivation and self-confidence is extremely
important," said Sugiono. "It's interesting to learn from
Alistair and Julienne that the problems we face as teachers here
are not that much different from those encountered in Australian
schools."

Sugiono has applied for a merit-based Australian Development
Scholarship to study at an Australian university, and if
successful will spend two years away from Indonesia. A condition
of the award is that skills learned in Australia will be passed
onto his colleagues at the pesantren.

The Welshs brought their two children to East Java to expand
their horizons and better understand their neighbors. The kids
continue their schooling through the Victorian Education
Department's distance education program.

Lessons and assignments are mailed to and from Australia and
their parents supervise the children's work at home.

The family has rented a house off-campus to preserve their
privacy. But they live in a nearby village well away from other
Westerners; they eat Indonesian food in the local warung, and
chat to their neighbors in Indonesian.

"We're here to improve English language skills, teaching
methods and assist with the new competency-based curriculum,"
Alistair said. "We're working to build the capacity of teachers
so when we return home their language teaching abilities will
continue to grow.

"But our other goal is to enhance Indonesian-Australian
relationships."

Apart from living in the community and demolishing, through
daily activities and lifestyle, the many myths about Westerners,
it also includes introducing pesantren students to the
complexities of sport.

Like most Australian families the Welshs are fanatical about
football and cricket and believe sport is a great way to
interact. Alistair has already spotted a local boy with a perfect
overarm action that he thinks might become the next bowling
sensation when Shane Warne retires.

If the Indians, Pakistanis, West Indians and even the English
can beat the Australians at their own game, why not Indonesians?

Caption: The Welsh family in East Java: (from left) Alistair,
Simon, Eloise and Julienne.