Preschool targets the poor

Preschool targets the poor

JAKARTA (JP): U.S.-based preschool High/Scope is asking for
government and private sector funding to set up preschools for
disadvantaged children.

The High/Scope Foundation is one of many education franchises
being set up in Indonesia.

High/Scope's Julie Wigton said the company planned to build
preschools in poor areas with programs tailored to local needs.

The first High/Scope preschool in Indonesia was established in
Pondok Indah, South Jakarta. The basis of its curriculum is from
the Ministry of Education and Culture, but this has been modified
to suit High/Scope's objectives and philosophy

The company's founder, Julie B. Mamangkey, said the preschool
would also provide workshops for parents in rural areas.

High/Scope's Perry Preschool Project was created in 1962 to
serve "at-risk" children from poor neighborhoods in Ypsilanti,
Michigan, USA. Its founder, David P. Weikart, is now the
president of High/Scope Educational Research Foundation.

The project formulated High/Scope Curriculum, which is
designed to suit each child's needs, according to their natural
development. The curriculum exposes children to direct
experiences with people, objects, ideas and events.

The curriculum treats children as active learners, who learn
best from activities that they plan, carry out and reflect upon
by themselves with guidance from teachers, who encourage the
children to think and solve problems on their own. This method is
called "Plan, Do, Review".

The preschool in Jakarta teaches in Indonesian and English.
Tuition in English costs US$600 a month and the enrollment fee is
$500. Tuition in Indonesian costs Rp 900,000 ($370) a month and
the enrollment fee is Rp 1 million. (40)