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.