JP/22/U09

JP/22/U09
Helping in the development of Indonesian education

Simon Marcus Gower
Contributor
Jakarta

Recently there have been quite considerable pressures on the
expatriate communities of Jakarta and beyond.

The lingering affects of the economic crisis and its
accompanying social, political and religious upheavals
have significantly reduced the number of foreigners within
Indonesia. Likewise the more recent tragedies of the Bali bombing
and the war in Iraq have exerted pressures and strained the
presence of many of the international community.

However, in spite of all this apparent gloom and fears for
security, international schools seem to be surviving quite well
and indeed they form a significant portion of the education
sector of the capital and beyond. Schools may have to close
temporarily for security reasons but they do remain and do
continue to offer their educational services.

Certainly some of the international schools have seen their
numbers of enrollments fall but the number of international
schools that remain active is testimony to the fact that
international schooling and education is very much wanted and
needed within Indonesia.

The complaints about the quality of education in Indonesian
(local) schools are widespread and familiar. Often, however, it
is true that too many generalizations are applied in examining
local schools. People find it too easy, and are too willing,
to denigrate and dismiss local schools when, in fact, it can be
fairly said that there are good and bad local schools - just as
there are good and bad international schools.

What cannot be denied, though, and needs to be responded to is
that education in Indonesia is a developing sector. As such
international schools can play a significant role in helping to
bring about change for the better.

There is always the possibility, even danger, that expatriate
communities will remain isolated from, or even aloof towards, the
local community. It is all too easy for essentially foreign
'enclaves' to exist that keep themselves to themselves and have
the barest of contacts with the 'host' peoples.

International schooling and international education offers a
very direct and beneficial means of crossover between the
communities and for mutual understanding to grow. Education is,
after all, about enlightenment and the opening up of young hearts
and minds.

International schools offer a very direct way of overcoming
isolation, as they may cater to students of many nationalities.
The kinds of cultural exchange that inevitably accrue within such
internationally attended schools represents the beneficial
crossover between communities that is so much needed.

It is perhaps true that in the past such international
education has been rather off-limits for Indonesians. An
atmosphere of exclusivity may have hung over some schools that
prevented local students from attending. But many international
schools are now very welcoming to Indonesian students. Cynics
might say that falling enrollment figures have forced such
schools to be more open in their admissions policies but, with
special programs to upgrade students' language ability (as
English is usually the medium of instruction), it is apparent
that many international schools have gone to considerable lengths
to help local students gain entry and achieve success within
their systems of education.

'Crossover' is, then, very expressly occurring but crossover
can occur in more ways than just admission of local students.
International schools very deliberately market themselves on the
overseas curricula that they apply in rendering their
education.

Again, there may be an element of 'local' education bashing
here, as the perception is that a curriculum taken from outside
of Indonesia will be, by definition, better.

But international schools should exercise at least a modicum
of appreciation for the locations in which they are situated and
active - namely Indonesian locations. Students at Indonesian
based international schools should get at least a flavor of the
host nation. This can be achieved by curriculum based learning
and also extra-curricula activities that get international
students involved in the local communities and cultures.

If international schools do not get their students so locally
involved, they will be guilty of further entrenching that
dangerous enclave mentality that leaves foreigners excluded and
even occasionally seen as something of an oddity within
Indonesian life.

An example of a schools competition illustrates this point. A
series of general knowledge quiz questions was being asked and
the pupils of a Jakarta international school were doing quite
well, but then the questions turned to Indonesian topics and the
international school's team was lost and hopeless at answering
any of the questions.

This, then, represents a dichotomy and dilemma for
international schools. They are founded and marketed on their
non-Indonesian credentials. The notion of gaining an education
from outside of Indonesia and yet get it inside Indonesia is
often an appealing one but international schools should not and
really cannot neglect to appreciate their very locations -
Indonesian locations.

The benefits of having international schools present and
welcoming of Indonesian students are then significant. Indonesian
students that do attend international schools are among a
fortunate and affluent relative few within Indonesia. But the
benefits to the locality of international schools do not end with
just accepting relatively few local students.

Through extra-curricula activities international schools can
get involved with their local communities. A good example of this
was charitable responses recently to the victims of flooding with
food and clothing donations. Also, international school staff can
get involved with seminars and workshops that speak directly to
Indonesian educators and give them a window on new thoughts,
ideas and alternatives for education.

In short, international schools, (which can be
construed by definition as exclusive as they typically
cater to a quite exclusive sub-group of Indonesian life -
expatriates), can play a vital role in bringing new ideas,
methods and means of delivering education.

They may simultaneously render the service of enhancing
cultural exchange and understanding. In the context of
globalization this educational goal becomes of paramount
importance.

The difficult times in Indonesia may have seen the number of
expatriate families dwindle but by opening their doors to local
students and adding value to the education sector generally,
international schools are a healthy and vibrant plus factor in
the changing and developing landscape of Indonesia's education. (
Director of Research and Development, Harapan Bangsa School,
Kotamodern, Tangerang, Banten.