Obtaining world-class education in national schools

Obtaining world-class education in national schools

Debbie A. Lubis, Contributor, Jakarta

Along with the growing needs for quality education, national
"plus" schools have become highly favored in Indonesia.

Starting 12 years ago, the number of national "plus" schools
continues to increase not only Jakarta but also in other major
cities in Indonesia.

According to Kathryn Young, the principal of Sekolah Global
Jaya, a national-plus school in Jakarta, there is a big
difference between national plus and conventional schools.

Therefore, parents need to fully understand the objectives and
functions of a national plus school which are now among the
nation's elite schools.

The government has yet to issue a standard for national plus
schools. But the accreditation standards formulated by the
Association of the National Plus Schools (ANPS) can be helpful in
judging the quality of a school.

Schools that fulfill all the association's strict criteria
receive an 'A' rating. Others with lower standards receive a 'B',
'C' or 'P' rating. 'P' means provisional membership of the ANPS.

A category 'A' national plus school has the same standard as
any standard International school found anywhere in the world.

A category 'A' national plus school uses both the national and
an approved international curriculum. Many category 'A' national
plus schools have obtained international accreditation, such as
International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), and British 'A'
and 'O' levels accreditation.

Category 'A' national schools use both English and Bahasa
Indonesia as languages of instruction.

"The development of national plus schools is quite
encouraging. Some of them have met all the qualification
standards, while other are in stages of meeting the mandatory
requirement," said Kathryn Young, who is also the chairperson of
ANPS.

There are more than 100 schools that claim to be national
plus, and about 50 of them have become association members.

There is a range of fees and parents need to see and know what
they are paying for. Mother tongue teachers of English and those
who have been trained overseas are some of the biggest costs
along with modern well-equipped facilities and resources.

Category 'A' national plus schools have a large number of
expatriate teachers working in them. These teachers have been
highly trained overseas (in their home countries, e.g. Australia,
North America, Britain, etc.) and not only teach in English but
provide in-depth professional development to their Indonesian
colleagues.

Many graduates of national plus schools are accepted into
overseas universities. However, Young said, many are also
accepted into Indonesian universities.

Sekolah Global Jaya, located in Bintaro, Tangerang, implements
the IB programs including Primary Years Program (PYP) for three
to six years old, and Middle Years Program (MYP) for seven to 10
years old. The Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) program
from Victoria, Australia is offered to senior secondary students
(year 11 and 12).

Delivering international and Indonesian curricula, the school
caters to Indonesian as well as expatriate students.

Indonesian teachers and expatriate teachers from Australia,
the UK or U.S. work together to plan problem solving and creative
learning skills to the students.

At BiNus School, teachers are selected on a range of criteria
which includes qualifications, experience, English language
ability, and enthusiasm for teaching, said Gregory C. Mowday,
Middle and High School Principal of BiNus School.

BiNus School is a candidate school for IB's Primary Years
Program (PYP) and Middle Years Program (MYP). The school will
introduce its IB Program in 2007.

Currently, the high school's curriculum is provided and
accredited by the Curriculum Council of Western Australia.
Graduates of BiNus are able to use their international education
qualifications to access famous universities around the world.

Complementing the international curriculum, students at all
levels also receive instruction in the Indonesian national
curriculum with a focus on Religion, Character Building
(Citizenship) and National History.

At BiNus School 75 percent to 80 percent of the language of
instruction is English. The remaining 20 percent to 25 percent is
delivered in Bahasa Indonesia. The teacher-student ratio in BiNus
School approximately 1:18 in the ECY/Elementary School and
approximately 1:10 in the Middle and High Schools.

BiNus School was established as a senior high school in July
1998 offering the Western Australian senior curriculum. In July
2003 the school opened an ECY/Elementary and Middle School on a
new campus in Simprug and incorporated the high school. From its
inception the school aligned its ECY/Elementary and Middle School
curricula to IBO standards.

"The learning methods are student-centered and interactive
with the teacher being the facilitator of knowledge rather than
the focus," Mowday said.

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