National schools of excellence

Sekolah Tunas Muda has fulfilled all the mandatory requirements operate as a national plus school but the school prefers to name it as national school of excellence, rather than the national plus one.

"We prefer to avoid the term "national plus" because it can imply that the national standard is less than adequate. On the contrary, the national curriculum promotes the continuous development of educational standards," said Nigel Robson, the school's director of studies.

Sekolah Tunas Muda has been a candidate school of the IBO since July 2002 and plans to offer all three IBO programs by July 2006: the Primary Years Program, Middle Years Program and Diploma Program.

The school incorporates the requirements of the national curriculum with the IB's three programs and emphasizes the development of three essential values that guide our teaching: "It is not what we learn but how we learn that is more important; It is not what we know but how we use that knowledge that is more important; It is not what we do but how we accomplish it that is more important."

Robson said that the school encourages students to ask questions, to develop the motivation for inquiry and learning as well as leads them into a world of exploration and discovery. All of its teachers are trained by the IBO to ensure that an active and stimulating learning environment is created and maintained. The teachers use English in the primary and secondary schools for approximately 70 percent of the time.

"It is of paramount importance that Sekolah Tunas Muda students value their identity as Indonesian citizens. We hope that our students will aspire to contribute to the future development of Indonesia as well as the wider world," Robson said.

Meanwhile, adopting fully international curriculum, Bambino International Pre-school combines learning center and Montessori approaches. Both approaches give chances for young children to learn actively and to be self-explorer in carrying individual or group work.

"Learning activities at Bambino are based on the best practices in early childhood education. Through the philosophy of Help Me To Help Myself, children not only learn about academic skills but also to be independent learners," said Lely Tobing, the schools Deputy Principal Montessori and Early Childhood Educator.

Currently, students at Bambino are from 26 countries. They join classes of Toddler for 1.5 to 3 years old children; Pre-K for 3-4 years old and Kindergarten for 4-6 years old. Most of the teachers are also from other countries.

Bina Tunas Bangsa (BTB) School, the first national "plus" school that offers International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program in Jakarta has now evolved into a multi-faceted educational institute with its new campus on Jl. Pluit Sakti, North Jakarta.

The school obtains authorization from the Geneva-based International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) and applies the IB's three main educational programs -- Primary Years Program (PYP), Middle Years Program (MYP) and the Diploma Program (DP). The two-year IB Diploma Program is a two-year pre-university course that helps students fulfill the requirements of international education systems. BTB School students who hold an IB diploma are accepted by over 800 universities in 85 different countries around the world.

The Singapore PSB School in Indonesia applies the same educational system, programs and curricula as those applied in Singapore, except for a few things such as the teaching of Bahasa Indonesia to comply with the regulations governing the "national plus schools.

The PSB School operates schools in Bukit Gading Raya, Kelapa Gading Barat, North Jakarta and another one in Kebon Jeruk, West Jakarta.

Graduates of the PSB School with an acceptable pre-university qualification were eligible to apply for PSB's various diplomas leading to degree and master's programs offered in Singapore as well as other universities in the world since the PSB qualification is recognized worldwide.

The Singapore International School (SIS) has adopted strong Singaporean curriculum, along before the PSB School. Established in Jakarta in 1977 to accommodate children of expatriates working in Jakarta, as well as Indonesian students, SIS offers high academic standards to its students.

Today SIS operates in four places in Jakarta: Kelapa Gading (East Jakarta), Pantai Indah Kapuk (North Jakarta), Kebon Jeruk (West Jakarta) and Lebak Bulus (South Jakarta). SIS also operates in Medan (North Sumatra), Cilegon (West Java) and Semarang (Central Java). SIS students frequently move on to top schools in Singapore as well as other countries