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