National schools of excellence

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