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ADVERTORIAL: JIMS Size: 4 x 25 cm/ FC
JIMS offers high-quality education with excellent facilities
Selecting an international school that provides a high level of academic achievement, excellent sports facilities and beautiful surroundings, all at an affordable price can be extremely difficult, and would probably involve compromise.
One Jakarta school however provides all of the above. The Jakarta International Montessori School (JIMS), is a family like school located at the International Sports Centre of Indonesia (ISCI) on Jl. Ciputat Raya, South Jakarta.
Surrounded by trees and overlooking a lake, it is very easy to forget that you are still in Jakarta. The natural beauty, tranquility, and serene atmosphere remind one of a holiday resort.
However, JIMS offers much more than simply a picturesque setting. The school exists out a desire to provide quality education, that assists children in making the most of themselves, by enhancing their self-esteem, self-confidence and independence.
The school's mission, according to Sherisada Manaf-Richardson, chairperson of the Montessori Association of Indonesia, and the founder and director of the school, is based on a strong belief and respect for the natural ability and intrinsic motivation of children. The aim is to expand to the limit children's natural capacity and desire to learn.
"We do this by putting special emphasis on treating children as individuals and recognizing their differing needs and talents. Thereby facilitating the development of the whole person, body, mind, and spirit,"
The school has under 100 students aged between three and 15 years old, who are divided into four levels: Preschool for three and four-year-olds, Reception for the four and five-year-olds, and Primary and Secondary school of the older students.
JIMS is owned by a private foundation and is dedicated to teaching the world-famous educational principles of Dr Maria Montessori, in which students are encouraged to take responsibility for themselves and to become lifelong learners. The curriculum is based on the British national curriculum, leading up to the Cambridge international GCSE exams, while teaching materials are drawn mainly from Britain and Australia.
As well as the core subjects of Mathematics, Science, English, History, Geography, Computer studies, Art, Religious and Physical education. The school also teaches French, Japanese and Indonesian.
JIMS classrooms, including one outdoors, all overlook the lake and each is uniquely decorated with students own work. Most students are foreigners of various nationalities, including British, American, Indian, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Australian, Filipino, Dutch, Serbian and Singaporean. There are also several Indonesian students.
All JIMS teachers are qualified, and each is assisted by their Teachers aide. They all adhere to the following three Montessori principles: Observation, Individual Liberty, and Preparation of the Environment. Observation means being totally aware of events and occurrences. Such sensory awareness by the teacher is comparable to that the true scientist: open-minded, non- prejudicial, inquiring, humble and patient.
JIMS' teachers' commitment to Individual Liberty permits mistakes to occur in the classroom. Freedom of choice is for the child is vital to enable such qualities as self-discipline and independence to develop.
Individual freedom, however, does not necessarily mean that the students are totally free to do things that their own will, as they are also taught to be self-disciplined. Students who make mistakes are not punished. Instead, they are given room to explore and are expected to learn from their mistakes.
"We prefer to reason with students rather than punished them," says Sherisada.
At JIMS, the child's behavior is seen as being directly influenced by the surrounding environment. Thus, in order to manage misbehavior, it is the environment, and not the child that needs to be controlled. Teachers treat the students not merely as children, but also as people who need to be treated with respect and care. This includes, among other things, listening to their opinions.
At JIMS, having a close relationship with the parents of children is also seen as important, since the student's life outside school also has a direct effect on their school education and behavior.
Compared to the other international schools, JIMS charges low fees while maintaining a high standard of education. Due to its scenic lakeside location, it is also the only school in town that offers sailing as one of its 'on site' extracurricular activities. Its other extracurricular activities include modern dancing, arts and crafts, Girl Scouting, and Tae Kwon Do.
Students at JIMS also have regular field trips combining Indonesian cultural studies with excursions to places like television stations, post offices, and markets, as well as orphanages and local kampongs to help them better understand the real world, and prepare them for their futures.
The school needs to be visited to see the real quality of education that is provided and feel the impact of this stunning environment.