Best start in the world -- A national plus education

Best start in the world -- A national plus education

Kathryn Young
and Janet Bennet
Jakarta

Do you want your child to be an effective communicator, a
critical thinker, an inquirer, knowledgeable.........

When your child enters school he/she is all of those and it is
a shared responsibility of the school and you, the parents, to
keep the learning alive to ensure these attributes are enhanced
as the child progresses through schooling and beyond.

Yes your child is an effective communicator -- from birth,
each child knows how to gain attention to be fed, toileted,
entertained and so on. Remember you were the child's first
teacher.

Through your modeling your child continues to develop
language skills through speaking, listening, reading and writing.
The school you choose needs to use this prior knowledge and
provide an environment that further extends knowledge, skills and
understanding. Teachers and parents need to work together.

One often ignored context for learning, in the early years, is
play -- indoor, outdoor, structured and unstructured play. All
play has a valuable role in the education of young learners. Have
you watched a group of children in the sand pit taking turns,
sharing, cooperating and communicating with each other? Play
provides a powerful context in which children learn as they
actively engage socially, emotionally, physically and
intellectually with people, objects, representations, events and
ideas.

At some National Plus Schools students in the early childhood
program are guided through play, structured and unstructured as
they develop as critical thinkers, independent learners,
collaborative workers and problem solvers to continue their
educational journey as valuable, moral and tolerant members of a
national and international community. An inquiry based approach
underpins the teaching and learning process in a stimulating
bilingual setting.

Investigations provide meaningful opportunities for learners
to explore through activities that require problem solving,
decision-making, drawing conclusions and seeking alternative
solutions. Students are encouraged to question and seek
clarification at all times. Students are inquirers.

Through providing real life situations the teacher is able to
draw on cultural and social diversity and demonstrate the use of
language, literacy and numeracy in their everyday lives. Focused
learning at National Plus Schools occurs in large and small group
settings or on an individual basis and the situations provides a
context for developing children's knowledge about the world.

Continuous assessment through observation, focused analysis,
personal interviews, checklists and rubrics directs the planning
and implementation of a seamless curriculum. Student led
conferences provide an avenue for students to celebrate and
demonstrate their learning with their parents. This unique
interaction between parents and child strongly reveals each
child's understanding of knowledge and skills.

Some National Plus Schools are authorized to deliver the
International Baccalaureate Organization Primary Years Program
(PYP ) which impacts positively on the Early years program. This
program establishes a foundation for a National and International
curriculum incorporating the interests and needs of young
learners.

A highly professional team meets to plan each week to provide
maximum-learning outcomes implementing identified concepts,
knowledge, attitudes and skills. Regular professional development
through internal, external, national and international
conferences, workshops or seminars play a big part in achieving
quality learning outcomes for both students and staff. Parent
workshops, organized each term are a popular interactive forum
for both parents and teachers. This partnership encourages open
communication and positive relationships for all stakeholders.

The school community reflects the ethos (spirit) of valuing
individuality, respecting differences and promoting lifelong
learning.

For example at Sekolah Global Jaya all of the five main
religions of Indonesia are recognized and where possible the
common beliefs of Hinduism, Islam, Catholicism, Christianity and
Buddhism are integrated into the curriculum or Unit of Inquiry.
In the Early years program students can be seen celebrating all
religious festivals in a variety of ways that encourages further
inquiry for enduring understandings that develop a natural
respect for differences.

Are you looking for a school that promotes individuality,
lifelong learning and internationalism?

There are a number of National Plus Schools that provide not
only all of this but much more. Upon leaving one of these
National Plus Schools students are equipped to study at any
University in the world as well as exhibiting global attributes
in preparation for their role as the future leaders of Indonesia.
A number of National Plus Schools are proud to be some of the
best schools in Indonesia, if not the world.

Janet Bennett is Primary Curriculum Coordinator of Sekolah
Global Jaya. Kathryn Young is Primary Principal of Sekolah Global
Jaya and Chairperson of the Association of National Plus Schools.