National-plus schools: Another alternative to obtain quality education

Debbie A. Lubis, Contributor, Jakarta

Of all kinds of education available in the Indonesian school system, "national-plus" schools are becoming increasingly popular among parents in big cities as an alternative way to obtain quality learning.

Slightly different from international schools, national-plus schools are accredited by the Ministry of Education and must fulfill its curricula and policy requirements.

The "plus" is derived from the fact these schools also introduce elements of an imported curriculum, which may have its origins in Australia, the United States, Singapore, Europe or elsewhere. A common feature, regardless of origin, is that this "plus" is delivered in English.

The majority of national-plus schools cater for Indonesian students with expatriate students often making up a small proportion of the school's student population, although this can also vary.

The schools also usually provide extensive facilities such as sports grounds, internet-equipped computer laboratories, libraries, music rooms and drama studios.

Gregory C. Mowday, senior principal of Sekolah Bina Nusantara, said in most areas, international schools and national-plus schools were similar in regard to international accreditation, teaching methodologies and internal policies and procedures.

Located in Simprug, South Jakarta, Sekolah Bina Nusantara has 80 percent of its instruction in English and provides a learning environment that embraces Indonesian language and cultural and religious diversity.

Mowday said his high school graduates' qualifications were recognized globally by all schools and tertiary institutions because the school provided a dual secondary syllabus.

The school's high school curriculum is accredited by the Western Australia Curriculum Council (WACC). Its teaching methods, facilities and standards are officially monitored by the WACC, which also examines the academic achievement of students and the methodologies of the teachers. Based on the 2003 Ujian Akhir Nasional (National Final Exam), Sekolah Bina Nusantara currently ranks No. 1 in Indonesia generally and No. 2 in Indonesia for English language.

Courses in Years 11 and 12 use the Western Australian Tertiary Entrance Examination (TEE) curriculum and subject syllabi, in accordance with Australian and Indonesian government regulations.

The Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) is issued to students who meet all the requirements for their secondary graduation. Each student's academic performance over the final two-year period of high school will be used by Australian and other universities abroad to determine types and levels of university admission.

"Students wishing to enter Indonesian universities remain enrolled until May of the following year to complete their final Indonesian graduation requirements," Mowday said.

The school also provides a Primary Years Program (PYP) from the International Baccalaureate for middle schools, which is based on the internationally recognized Western Australian curriculum framework and is supported by the Indonesian national curriculum. Sekolah Bina Nusantara is in the process of applying to be a candidate school and offer the International Baccalaureate's Middle Years Program (MYP).

School fees for the pre-school are Rp 1.8 million (about US$215) per month; elementary school fees are Rp 2.45 million; middle school fees Rp 2.6 million; and high school fees Rp 3.9 million a month. "Longer-term school fee packages that offer a significant discount are also available," Mowday said.

Meanwhile at Sekolah Pelita Harapan, graduates can gain International Baccalaureate Organization certificates and Council of International School stamps of approval, making it easy for them to apply to international schools or universities overseas.

The school has three campuses -- the Sentul campus is a fully authorized International Baccalaureate school, offering the IB Diploma, Middle Years and Primary Years programs. The Karawaci campus also offers all three IB programs, is authorized in the IB Diploma and Middle Years programs and is awaiting final authorization for the Primary Years Program. Cikarang has started all three programs and is awaiting authorization.

In addition, the Karawaci campus is accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS) and has national accreditation for elementary, junior high and high school levels.

Sekolah Pelita Harapan deputy headmaster Darrell Van Luchene, said while subjects offered varied from campus to campus, the performing arts, physical education, sport, and Mandarin were all part of the school's program.

"Our students are taught problem solving and reasoning skills. In addition, character development is part of the program, as we have the mission of preparing leaders for Indonesia's future,"

The enquiry method of instruction was used from kindergarten to grade 12. "Students are evaluated in the national school based primarily on exams, but the international schools use a variety of assessment methods to evaluate learning."

At Sekolah Global Jaya, students are at the center of the learning and teaching process. Delivering international and Indonesian curricula, the school puts a high priority on problem solving and creative learning skills.

Indonesian and expatriate teachers (around 20 percent) from Australia, the United Kingdom and the U.S. work together at the school. The ratio between teachers and students is about 120:700.

"The outcome of the learning is not only content-based, but also about skills and attitude. Upon leaving school, students will become critical thinkers, problem-solvers, effective communicators, collaborative workers, self-directed learners and moral and tolerant individuals," said Kenneth J. Cock, the school's executive principal.

Located in Bintaro, Tangerang, Sekolah Global Jaya implements the International Baccalaureate's Primary Years Program from kindergarten until year 6; and the secondary (Middle Years Program for years 7 to 10). The Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) program from Victoria, Australia is offered to senior secondary students (years 11 and 12).

"We cater to the needs of Indonesian students growing up in Indonesia. Therefore, subjects such as Bahasa Indonesia, history and personal and social development are taught in line with the needs of Indonesian students. As a national-plus school, there is also no quota restricting the acceptance of Indonesian students studying the national curricula. We cater for both Indonesians and expatriates," Cock said.

Global Jaya has also received full accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, an accreditation body from the U.S. Its kindergarten fees are around Rp 2.9 million per month; fees from year 1 to 12 are Rp 3.1 million per month and their is a contribution to the development fund of Rp 11 million.