More state schools offer int'l classes
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)