International schools study safety options before polls

International schools study safety options before polls

By Lena Rosenthal

JAKARTA (JP): Life in the international community here has
changed since last May's riots. Many expatriate families left
Jakarta due to the economic troubles or unstable political
situation; those who stayed have been forced to adapt to the new
situation.

Particularly concerned about the present political situation
are expatriate parents whose children attend one of the capital's
international schools.

As enrollment has plummeted due to the economic situation,
international schools are trying to make "the best of a difficult
situation", according to a Jakarta International School (JIS)
newsletter from last October. Student enrollment has gone down 23
percent at JIS and 20 percent at the German International School
(DIS).

Out of concern for their students, almost all international
schools have installed or updated their emergency procedures.

"Paramount was our concern for the safety and security of our
students, followed by the need to safeguard instructional time,"
explained Guy M. Robinson, chairman of the JIS school council in
a letter to parents announcing changes to the school calendar.

Classes on Saturdays, shortened holidays and the cancellation
of "late starts" are among measures taken to end the school year
earlier than planned and give those who want it the chance to
leave town.

JIS will close on May 21, Gandhi Memorial School on May 17,
the Australian International School on May 12 and the British
International School on May 21. The French school will finish its
basic school program around May 25.

"We are only concerned about the expected rallies," said A.P.
Singh, acting principal of the Gandhi Memorial School. "Last May
we had students stranded at school because roads were blocked.
Therefore, parents, teachers and the management of the school
agreed to close early."

For the Japanese International School, juggling with the
school calender year is more difficult because it commences in
April and ends the following March.

"We are doing everything to improve our security system as we
are unable to close school in May," said Shigeyuki Oishi,
secretary of the school, on the administration's decision to stay
in session. "New security systems for school buses have been
installed and fences protecting the campus
have been improved."

Even at schools closing down in May, some international exams
cannot be rescheduled. At the Gandhi Memorial School, for
example, students will not be able to finish their International
Baccalaureate exams until May 21, and the Cambridge exams will be
held in June. Other schools are still thinking about conducting
exams in Singapore.

Not everybody appears quite as worried.

"We decided not to conduct school on Saturdays and are
planning to stay in session until June 25," explained DIS
principal Hinners.

"We have just moved from Menteng to Bumi Serpong Damai, so in
case anything happens we should not be directly concerned.
Additionally, the developments of the last couple of weeks are
reason enough to be optimistic about the situation."

Concern for student safety is behind all the administrators'
efforts to ensure there will not be a repeat of the chaos from
last year's political turbulence.

What do parents and students think about all the security
measures?

"I am naturally a bit concerned about my children," says a
mother, whose daughters, aged 13 and nine, attend DIS. "Of course
all of a sudden things can escalate, but in this case the school
won't be able to help in any way. We all will have to make our
own decisions as the situation demands."

Students seem to be understanding.

"Although I personally still feel rather safe in Jakarta, I
find the measures that have been taken at my school adequate to
the situation," said JIS ninth grader Annette Bumcke.

JIS senior Amber Calvert said: "Considering the current
situation I find it reasonable to close school early. I'd rather
get my exams over with before anything happens."