Learning local culture in different approaches

Learning local culture in different approaches

I. Christianto, Contributor, Jakarta

The number of International Schools as well as the so-called
national-plus private schools in Indonesia has increased
significantly in recent years. Both schools aim to offer
international curricula and use English as the medium of
instruction, targeting expatriates and those seeking good quality
in education.

English being the official language of instruction and the
international curricula applied in most international and
national-plus schools are among the reasons of those sending
their children to such educational institutions. The schools,
especially the national-plus schools, which are categorized as
private domestic institutions, also provide some lessons and
extracurricular activities related to Indonesian culture.

Wesley International School, which is located in Malang, East
Java, for example, teaches Bahasa Indonesia to grades one through
eight.

"We also teach a class called 'Indonesian Appreciation' to all
of our students in grades one and two. Our students often go on
field trips to places of great value in Indonesian culture in our
region," says Paul Richardson, principal of Wesley International
School.

He adds that his school is also partnered with Indonesian
schools and runs exchange programs involving plays and musical
performances, always with the intention of mixing the
international children with the Indonesian children. "We have a
strong drama program, and we have performed our plays in
Indonesian schools all over Malang," he says, adding that Wesley
also sponsors a city wide youth soccer league known as "Liga
Charis".

The school has several immensely talented Indonesian teachers
and the Bahasa Indonesia teachers are highly qualified, while the
Indonesian art and drama teacher is respected by all of the
students, he says.

"This brings to mind another strong value we have at Wesley.
We emphasize that our Indonesian staff members, whether office
staff, gardeners, janitors or guards, are treated with respect
and dignity by all of our students," he says.

The Semarang International School also teaches its students
Bahasa Indonesia and Indonesian Culture.

School principal Janine van Noort says it is important
for the children to be aware of and appreciate the culture of the
country in which they live.

"We have qualified Indonesian teachers to teach
Bahasa Indonesia/Culture. The students enjoy the subject very
much," she says, adding that her school, which was established in
1982, applies the British curriculum and uses Australian
resources.

Richardson says that at Wesley it is important that the
students know the names of all the Indonesian staff, and that
they are greeted with "Selamat Pagi..." and so on.

"We value this beautiful country and the priceless experience
of living and working in Indonesia. The students have an
incredible opportunity to learn the Indonesian culture and ways
of life so that for the rest of their lives, wherever they live,
they will value different cultures and carry with them the
skills of appreciating cultures and relating to people
of diversity," he says.

"We want to protect our students from growing up with the
belief that they are somehow better or more valuable than
children from poor backgrounds. Therefore, we want to expose them
to the beautiful facets of Indonesian society."

According to Richardson, students will generally drift in the
direction enthusiastically presented to them by their teachers
and other people of influence.

"For example, one of our wonderful teachers, Shelley Matthews,
initiated a weekend event where the teenagers would raise money
for poor children in Indonesia by finding sponsors and going
without food themselves for 30 hours. Do you think a bunch of
wealthy international teenagers would do such a thing?

About forty students did it and they did it with great
enthusiasm, raising almost Rp 15 million to be given to World
Vision for hungry children."

Wesley International School, established in Malang in
1972, is a K-12 school and has some 100 students with sixteen
classrooms. It provides an American-based curriculum with some
adaptations. The school has served students from Australia, the
USA, New Zealand, Canada, Taiwan, South Korea, Germany,
Switzerland, England, and India.

Richardson says Wesley, whose current tuition fee is US$5,000
per year, had recently experienced a growth spurt as an
increasing number of international businessmen were moving their
families and workplaces from Jakarta to Malang, which is widely
regarded as one of the cleanest and safest cities in Indonesia.

The Singapore International School, which is located
in South Jakarta, also has some Indonesian programs. It offers
Bahasa Indonesia and several extracurricular activities related
to Indonesian culture.

"We have a Bahasa Indonesia class and study tours to teach
Indonesian culture to the students," says Alan Wolff, a member of
the school.

He says the emphasis on music and drama has given pupils at
the Singapore International School the opportunity to express
their creativity. The annual production of musicals has developed
a love for music and the performing arts among all the students.
This activity includes learning Indonesian songs, he says.

Meanwhile, Sekolah Tiara Bangsa offers several subjects,
including Indonesian dance and Indonesian crafts, as
extracurricular activities.

Extracurricular activities are offered twice a week after
school for the whole year. As the school year is divided into two
semesters, students can take four different types of
extracurricular activities.

In the first semester, students can select various subjects,
including Indonesian dance and Indonesian crafts, Daryl Forde of
Tiara Bangsa says.

"In the second semester, all students are involved in
preparing for a musical production including actors, singers,
stage crew, lighting, costumes and make-up.

In the fourth quarter, all students learn a range of dances,
including Indonesian dances, for a school performance. As we are
also an Indonesian national-plus school, we celebrate our
national heritage through the study of Indonesian language, which
is compulsory, and religion," he adds.

Tiara Bangsa, which is located in Cibubur, West Java, also
commemorates special Indonesian events, he says, adding that
students include Indonesians, Koreans, Americans, Indians,
Australians, British, Singaporeans, Swedish, Danish, and
Filipinos.

"Special days are set aside to celebrate Indonesian cultural
and historical events; Kartini Day, Idul Fitri, etc. Our
International Baccalaureate curriculum gives us the unique
opportunity to use Indonesian culture, history and geography as
the basis for stimulating our students. The student and parent
response is very favorable to both the curricular and
extracurricular programs," Forde says.

In particular, parents are very pleased that the school could
take all middle school students on a three day excursion to
Bandung, West Java, to see local industry and agriculture, study
volcanology, visit tea and rubber plantations, and witness dance
and cultural performances, he adds.

"Internationalism does not mean that we neglect our culture,
nor reduce it to an insignificant part of our school life. In
fact, by learning interactively and through the discovery method,
our students come to realize that their own culture and other
cultures have more similarities than differences," Forde says.

At Sekolah Global Jaya, a national-plus school in Bintaro,
South Jakarta, students also have some subjects that are related
to Indonesian culture.

Kenneth Cock of Sekolah Global Jaya says his school offers
quality teaching, a commitment to learning in both English and
Bahasa Indonesia, a nonsecular environment where all religious
beliefs are respected and catered for, expatriate staff who
provide support for local staff, and students being placed at the
center of the learning, rather than the curriculum.

"Sekolah Global Jaya was set up to deliver a western-style
education to young Indonesians. Once the students have completed
their studies at our school they will have the necessary thinking
skills, research and problem-solving skills to enter any
university of their choice whether here or overseas. Thus the
development of the use of the English language is an important
part of our curriculum. Our goal is that every student will be
able to study in both Bahasa Indonesia and English. Thus, we
deliver the curriculum material in both languages."