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)