SIS to conduct training for local teachers

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Concerned to help Indonesia raise the quality of its teachers, the Singapore International School (SIS) and its seven branches across the country will conduct training for teachers.

The school's co-founder Jaspal S. Sidhu said on Friday that he has discussed the plan with the World Bank's International Finance Cooperation (IFC) on the possibility that the school can obtain funds to finance the project.

"I have prepared a proposal to be submitted to IFC. We hope that we can get a grant instead of loan as this is a non-profit project," he told The Jakarta Post at the school's headquarters in Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta, after meeting with an official from the IFC.

Sidhu said that good quality teachers was what the country needed most.

The training aimed at raising skills in teaching and knowledge among local teachers, he added.

Sidhu said that they wanted to utilize idle classes the school had in their branches as the school's class hours finished at 3:00 p.m.

"Our school in Medan, for instance, can train Aceh teachers. We plan to train 300 teachers every year. Imagine, what the country can benefit with that," he said.

The school plans to also utilize its expatriate teachers to train local teachers, besides hiring tutors from the University of Indonesia.

"Language is our problem here. We realize that many local teachers can't speak English. So, we plan to train people from the University of Indonesia to be able to teach the local teachers," Sidhu said.

He said that upon finishing the training the teachers would be awarded a certificate to be able to teach at any school in their own area.

Sidhu said that the school would be happy to employ several top graduates each year.

Sidhu expressed hope that the IFC would soon give its approval to the proposal.