On Montessori school

Linawati Sidarto's article on the PSKD (the Djakarta Christian School Association) Montessori School (Nov. 26, 1997) and Frank Richardson's comment (Dec. 1, 1997) underlined some key problems in contemporary Indonesian education. The most obvious one is the rigidity of our system which is mostly based on the retention of facts and the occasional regurgitation of these facts. Thus with all its inherent problems, the Montessori approach is a relief to students, teachers and parents alike. As Mr. Richardson rightly pointed out, we will fall farther and farther behind if we do not dare to break loose from the rigidity of the present system which does not teach children to think independently and certainly does not inspire them to explore the world on their own.

Mr. Richardson's warning that the Montessori approach is only an approach to teaching and learning should be taken to heart. Splendid approaches without solid content are also detrimental to a child's development. Our school adheres to the Indonesian curriculum but in a way which encourages children to explore on their own, and it is this which sets our school apart from traditional Indonesian schools.

Running a school is expensive. The provision of partial tuition wavers, as is common in all 26 PSKD schools, cannot change the fact that quality education is a rare and expensive commodity. Moreover, education is inadequately financed in our country.

Our Montessori school, like other quality schools, is expensive to run but the high cost is not caused by the beautiful building or by imported equipment. The PSKD has long constructed its own buildings, made its own furniture and produced its own equipment to cut costs. It is personnel that constitutes the largest part of our operational costs. The remuneration of qualified foreign teachers must always be competitive with salaries in their home countries as well as in other like schools in this country.

Even at this early stage, the presence of the Montessori school is already felt throughout the PSKD system. It has become our entry way for new ideas and our foreign teachers are excellent resource persons who are not "stingy" with their knowledge. It is obvious that our Indonesian teachers are academically just as well qualified as our foreign ones. In several cases they even surpass the level of academic knowledge of their foreign colleagues. There is, however, no doubt that our foreign teachers are much better at managing lively and interesting classes whereas our local ones tend to lecture.

I am not quite sure how to respond to Mr. Bhaskaran's comment about our school (Dc. 3, 1997). Mr. Bhaskaran stated that "...the school in the article would probably just about qualify as a preschool." Our school consists of a kindergarten i.e. a preschool and a primary school following the Indonesian curriculum and teaching it according to the Montessori approach. Our Principal Ms. Genia Sonneville, an internationally certified Montessori teacher, also runs a training course for would-be Montessori teachers.

Mr. Bhaskaran further stated that "Egoism, intolerance and caustic words have no place in the Montessori system." I could not agree more with him. I would even say that they have no place at all in any educational system but how his statement relates to our school is a bit of a mystery. I am afraid that his points are a rather too subtle for me.

TOENGGOEL P. SIAGIAN

Secretary of the Board

PSKD, Jakarta