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.