More state schools offer int'l classes

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

One year after passing the entrance test to SMU 70 senior high school's "international class" in 2003, Dewi Rahayu Noviyanti, 16, still feels proud that she beat other students in the tight selection process.

"When the program was introduced, I was excited to enroll as I was fascinated by the foreign curriculum," Dewi, a second-year high school student of SMU 70's international class in South Jakarta, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

She said that before enrolling in the program, all prospective students had to take a three-month English course taught by teachers certified by Cambridge University of the United Kingdom.

"Thank God I was able to manage in the English course," said Dewi.

Dewi is just one of the students in Jakarta who enrolled in the international class, where English is the medium of instruction.

Beginning the 2005/2006 school year, state senior high school SMU Negeri 68 in South Jakarta joins 99 other senior high schools all over Indonesia in adopting the internationally recognized Cambridge curriculum.

The school will offer an international curriculum limited to one class of 26 students. The students would have passed the required selection test.

"We have opened the international class in response to the trend among parents of sending their children to school abroad," SMU 68 principal Muchlis Muchtar told the Post.

In Jakarta alone there are six state schools with an international curriculum; SMU 8, 68 and 70 in South Jakarta, SMU 78 in West Jakarta, SMU 13 in North Jakarta and SMU 81 in East Jakarta.

Deputy principal of SMU 68 Nurhawati Siagian said that the difference between the regular and international curriculum was the language.

"In the international class, the use of English in class is mandatory among students and teachers," she said, adding that all books utilized would adhere to the standard required by the international curriculum.

She said, in terms of facilities, students of the international class would use computer labs and have access to the Internet just like students in the regular classes.

However, students of the international class would receive two diplomas upon graduation; a national and an international one, she said.

The program requirements include a pass grade in the final examination for graduation from junior high school and the high school entrance exam for English, Mathematics and Science.

"We initially received 33 applicants of which 24 passed the test, but four of them withdrew. We then opened up six places for a second group to fulfill our quota of 26 students for the international class," she explained.

The international class, which will be taught by five local teachers with Cambridge certification, also offers an acceleration exam. After two years of study, a student who successfully passes the exam can gain admission to foreign universities.

In this case, the student would only get an international diploma.

During the school year, the students in the international class will also take standard Indonesian curriculum subjects such as religion and history. The students are also required to attend classes from 7 a.m to 3:10 p.m, which are the same hours of study for regular classes at SMU 68.

Students of the international class at SMU 68 are required to pay a new students contribution of Rp 5 million, as do regular students, as well as tuition and book fees totaling Rp 20 million per annum.

"The tuition can be paid in installments within one semester (six months)," said Siagian. (004)