Children taught to speak their mind

T. Sima Gunawan, Contributor, Jakarta

Picture this: A little girl introduces her father to the teacher when he visits the school to collect her report at the end of the term.

The girl, who is in kindergarten, shows the report to her father, saying she is pleased that she received good marks in certain subjects, although she is rather disappointed with what she received in some other subjects.

We might wonder about how brave the girl is, about how she could express her opinions so openly and what kind of school she goes to.

In many schools, when the report is handed over to the parents, the teacher discusses the child's progress with them.

In national plus schools, however, students are expected to speak up, to be active and to think. From the time they are in kindergarten, or even in preschool, they learn to be responsible about what they are doing and to think critically.

"A national plus school is a student-centered school which is based on a holistic approach, with different assessments for each individual," said Weilin Han, the executive secretary of the Association of National Plus Schools (ANPS).

As national plus schools strive for excellence, their graduates are expected to be able to continue their studies and compete wherever the may find themselves, she added.

According to the ANPS, there are seven characteristics of a national plus school, including the use of English as the language of instruction in at least the core subjects of English, Mathematics and Science.

A national plus school should have clear policies and procedures, knowledge of and respect for Indonesian culture and the environment, a commitment to professional development, striving to achieve national and international learning outcomes, the development of educational programs that support student- centered learning, and the possession of appropriate resources and facilities.

Even though English is widely used in national plus schools, they are not international schools, although they may have a number of foreign students.

They are different from international schools as the students are taught to have a knowledge of and respect for Indonesian cultural values, diversity and the natural environment.

The first national plus schools were established here in the 1990s as part of an effort to meet global challenges. At that time -- and even until today -- many schools had poor teaching systems, which made students passive. Students were also told to memorize things instead of thinking things out for themselves.

There are currently at least 100 educational institutions, from kindergarten to high school, that claim to be national plus schools.

The ANPS was set up about five years ago as the country's national plus schools realized the need to have an organization that could serve as a forum for sharing information and discussing relevant issues that could help them improve the quality of the education they offered. Once a year it holds a conference and workshops for teachers.

The ANPS has around 50 members, which are located in many parts of the country, including Jakarta, Tangerang, Bandung, Surabaya, Malang, Medan, Palembang, Pakanbaru, Lampung, Soroako, Bali and Lombok. The annual membership fee is between Rp 1.4 million and Rp 2.8 million, depending on the number of students.

Any school that claims to be a national plus school may join the ANPS, but this does not mean that the school will be automatically accredited. The school must apply for accreditation and if it fails to meet the criteria, it is given a chance to improve its quality.

There are no special curricular requirements as each school is free to choose the curriculum that suits it as long as it meets the criteria for a national plus school as set by the ANPS.

Therefore, some schools apply the Singaporean curriculum, Australian curriculum, a combination of several curricula or even develop its own curriculum.

While many schools have around 40 students per class, in a national plus school the number is limited to 25 or less. A small class size is required to ensure a good educational environment and proper communication between the teacher and the students.

With such advantages, it is no wonder that national plus schools charge higher fees than ordinary schools. Fees for junior high, for example, range between less than Rp 1 million to more than Rp 2 million.

Weilin said that national plus schools faced two major problems. First, the public perception of such schools as being expensive and exclusive, and, second, the difficulties in good quality teachers.

Teachers in national plus schools are required to be professional and the school management should set aside an appropriate budget to pay them in accordance with their skills.

The involvement of parents is also important. "We encourage parents to become very much involved in the education of their children," said Weilin. "For example, they are expected to assist the children while studying, but not to do their homework," she added.

Students at a national plus school are required to be disciplined, but teachers are not allowed to use harsh words or corporal punishment.

"Pointing your finger at the students or speaking to them harshly will not solve anything," she said. The important thing is to make the students realize their mistakes and give them the chance to correct them.