Students abroad urged to preserve RI identity

Students abroad urged to preserve RI identity

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas stressed
yesterday the need for Indonesian schools abroad to preserve
their students' Indonesian identity.

"What is vital are efforts to mold the children to ensure a
sense of national awareness, not isolated from Indonesian culture
and virtues," Alatas said yesterday as he received a visiting
group of model teachers.

"This is so that when our children return to Indonesia they
can quickly adjust both to their environment and the Indonesian
educational system," Alatas explained.

To facilitate the education of children of Indonesians working
abroad, particularly those assigned by the government in
embassies, the Foreign Ministry has, since the 1960s, established
Indonesian schools in various countries.

There are now 21 Indonesian schools with the status of a
subsidized private school offering elementary to high school
classes in such cities as Cairo, The Hague, Riyadh and Bangkok.

Of these, 16 are fully recognized by the Ministry of Education
and Culture.

The headteachers of the recognized schools are appointed by
the foreign minister on the advice of the ministry of education.
Other teachers are appointed by the respective ambassadors.

There are now 264 teachers educating over 1,700 children in
these schools, whose curriculum complies fully with the national
one applied here.

Alatas admitted that the schools face many obstacles
particularly in providing qualified teachers, since it is very
expensive to provide teachers from Indonesia.

However he remarked that, with the dedication and hard work of
the teachers, results have been encouraging.

"This is evident by the increasing number of graduates from
Indonesian schools abroad who have succeeded in passing the State
University entrance exams," Alatas asserted.

In countries where an Indonesian school is not available, the
children are often required to attend study groups usually held
once a week on the weekend.

These study groups provide classes which are geared
specifically toward Indonesia such as Indonesian geography,
history, Bahasa Indonesia and Pancasila ideology.

The aim is to ensure that (Indonesian) children in foreign
schools abroad will have high sense of nationalism, Alatas said.
(mds)