Giving students easy access to good universities

Giving students easy access to good universities

Sudibyo M. Wiradji, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

With academic qualifications still a passport to accessing a
good university and professional career, international schools
are becoming more popular among expatriates and local parents,
not only because of the positive cultural values resulting from
their multicultural environments but also due to the undisputable
quality of their education.

International schools allow parents to choose an alternative
kind of education for their children -- an education for the real
world of global communication, international opportunity and
cultural diversity.

"This is an education which goes far beyond the confines of
the classroom and sees in the learning process the chance for
some remarkable lessons," Newsweek, one of the world's top weekly
magazine, has said of international schools.

In addition to exposure to a wider variety of experiences,
students can gain the kind of high-quality education important
for their futures thanks to the conducive educational system,
academic programs and curriculum.

"Here, the educational system and the way the curriculum is
presented enable me to find my interests and gifts earlier, so I
know what I am going to do for my future," said Shendy Lokes, who
is now in his final year (grade 12) at the Australian
International School (AIS). "Hotel is the field of study that I
will take at an overseas university."

An ability to communicate in English and access to good
universities worldwide were among the reasons behind his parents'
decision to send him to the international school, he said.

The emergence of international schools in Indonesia dates back
to 1950s when a small group of expatriate families working in
Jakarta were in dire need of an education for their children,
which led to the establishment of the Jakarta International
School (JIS). The school was known as the Joint Embassy School
and became the JIS in 1971.

With the increasing number of expatriates residing in
Indonesia, more international schools were established to meet
the increasing demand for a high quality education. To date,
about 17 international schools are now available in the capital,
with more located outside the capital.

Only two or three years ago were the schools opened to local
students, provided that they met the admission criteria. However,
extra efforts are needed by students who do not speak English to
study at international schools that use English as the language
of instruction, because they are required to attend an English as
a second language class.

As in other countries, Indonesia is home to different "types"
of international school. Several international schools accept
only students of a particular nationality, with a set curriculum
that provides access to tertiary education back in a particular
home country. These include the French School, or l' Ecole
Internationale Francaise, the German School, or the Deutsch
Internationale Schule, the Netherlands School, or the Nederlandse
Internationale School, and the Japanese School.

Other international schools have far more diverse student
populations, providing chances for young people to study in a
truly global environment. These include JIS, the Gandhi Memorial
International School (GMIS), the British International School
(BIS), the Australian International School (AIS), the Singapore
International School (SIS), the Jakarta International Montessori
School (JIMS) and the two-year-old New Zealand International
School (NZIS).

Each school has its own curriculum. Several of the curriculums
adopted by the schools refer to the Switzerland-based
International Baccalaureate (IB) organization. Users of the IB
curriculum include GMIS, JIS and BIS. Others base their
curriculum on their respective national school curriculums, such
as AIS wit its Australian National Curriculum and Profiles.
Several other schools, including JIMS, use the British National
Curriculum and Cambridge Examination System

Curriculums based on the IB are considered more practical,
research-oriented and more related to life-long learning,
according to Ashok Pal Singh, principal of GMIS, one of the
oldest international schools in town.

GMIS, which currently has students from 40 different
nationalities, educates children from nursery school (three years
old) to an IB diploma (18 years old).

With the curriculum, students are absorbed in a wide range of
activities that relate directly or indirectly to their curriculum
each term.

"Students make the learning process an exciting and fun-filled
journey," Singh said.

Students also get the opportunity to work in inter-
disciplinary research teams and they contribute their individual
areas of knowledge to joint projects.

In addition to IB diploma programs, the school also offers
other internationally acclaimed programs, including the Cambridge
International Examination - UK, called IGCSE or more popularly
known as O-level.

"The IGCSE examination is conducted by students at year 10 and
is equivalent to matriculation," he said.

Students who pass the IGCSE examination have to undergo a two-
year program of Junior College to become eligible to join any
authorized university's first year of undergraduate studies.

JIS, with students from 64 different countries, also follows
the IB curriculum from Switzerland. The high school curriculum
focuses on college and university preparation, offering the IB
and Advanced Placement International diploma. The IB program is
given to students in years 11 and 12.

With IB certificate, graduates will have easy access to high
quality universities worldwide, according to the JIS brochure.

Community service is also an important part of the curriculum
for secondary schools, because it allows student to raise their
level of understanding for other people and increase their
knowledge of Indonesia as a whole.

Educational system at most international schools allows
students as an individual has a high privilege during the
learning process, which appears to require positive attitudes on
the part of teachers towards criticism from students.

At AIS, for instance, students are encouraged to argue,
raising questions and even correct mistakes made by a teacher
during lessons.

"The system encourages students to be responsible for their
own learning and therefore, it allows students to complain if the
problems comes from the teacher," said Errol Price, a science
teacher at the AIS.

The AIS' educational system has been created in such a way
that it enables all students to reach their maximum potential and
to work at their own level in each subject area, said Penny
Robertson, principal of AIS, which currently has 300 students
from 30 different countries.

AIS, set up in Indonesia in 1996, bases its curriculum on
Australian National Curriculum Statements and Profiles, with
courses offered at the school accredited through the Australian
Capital Territory (ACT) Department of Education and the
Australian Capital Territory Board of Senior Secondary Studies.

In Jakarta, AIS has a campus in Kemang for kindergarten and
another one on Jl. Jati Murni, Pejaten, South Jakarta for
secondary students.

In parallel with the school's curriculum that encourage
students to have analytical, evaluative and problem-solving
skills, students spend more time conducting practical tasks
rather than theory, such as making scientific reports and
presentations.

At JIMS, the curriculum is based upon the British National
Curriculum and the Cambridge International-UK exams.

Even though the teaching materials are drawn mainly from
Britain and Australia, the curriculum is tailored to meet the
requirements of each year group and is annually updated.

"Students are encouraged to incorporate information technology
in their projects as much as possible," said JIMS directress
Sherisada Richardson.

Meanwhile, the New Zealand International School, established
in Jakarta in 2002, has attracted expatriate and local parents
thanks to its friendly environment and small class sizes.

The school's curriculum for kindergarten is based on the New
Zealand curriculum. Starting in Grade 9, the school follows the
Cambridge Examination System.

"It provides students with relevant knowledge, essential
skills and experience in using important processes for the new
millennium," NZI' principal Jan Menzies said.

What about school fees? The schools have their own procedures
for enrollment, with school fees varying from school to school.
For instance, the JIS charges US$8,850 tuition for preparatory
senior (five years old) per annum, and $13,300 for high school
(grades 9 to 12) per annum. Students are also required to pay an
annual facility fee of $600.

The GMIS' admission fee for preschool is $3,500, while grades
1 to 12 is US$5,000. It sets tuition at $1,740 for preschool
students, $1,740 for students in grades 1 to 5, $2,400 for grades
6 to 8, $2,700 for grades 9 to 10 and $3,000 for grades 11 and
12.