Studying in mutli-cultural atmosphere

Studying in mutli-cultural atmosphere

Debbie A. Lubis
Contributor
Jakarta

It was a bright afternoon when Indonesian children rushed out
of their classrooms at an international school located in South
Jakarta.

They cheerfully made jokes with some of their expatriate
buddies, reflecting their good relationships despite their
different cultural backgrounds. Studying in an international
atmosphere, indeed, does not make them afraid of mingling with
foreign kids.

Providing their children with the best possible education has
become the number one priority of most parents.

Many schools have offered various programs to cater to such
needs but not many can help students deal effectively with their
emotions, establish good social relationships, learn to be
independent, and acquire world-wide accredited knowledge and
skills.

Many rich Indonesian parents have chosen to send their
children to international schools since the Ministerial Decree
issued on May 2, 2000 allowed international schools that met
criteria established by the Ministry of National Education to
accept Indonesian students.

Currently, there are many international schools in Jakarta
that offer programs for Indonesians such as Gandhi National
School, Jakarta International School (JIS), North Jakarta
International School (NJIS), Singapore Indonesian School (SIS)
and many more.

"I just want to give the best education for my children
because it is the worthiest legacy that my husband and I can
give," said Lolita, 35, a mother who sends her two sons to an
international school.

In so doing, she believes that her children can have rewarding
careers in the future. Lolita also said she expected her children
could easily study abroad as their current school applied an
international curriculum.

In general, the international schools offer classes ranging
from nursery, kindergarten, and primary to secondary level. Most
of them use an international curriculum with some adjustment for
local content. The primary and secondary classes usually start at
7:30 a.m. and end at 2:50 p.m. Generally, the school academic
year is divided into two semesters, with grades reported at
quarterly intervals.

Typically, an international schools consist of air-conditioned
classrooms that are designed in accordance with the students'
learning stages and completed with facilities such as a library,
computers and science labs, theater, gymnasium, playing fields
for sports, dance studio, and special rooms for art and music.
They also have an abundance of extra curricular activities.

"Studying in an international school makes me disciplined and
able to get rid of negative things like being hooked on drugs or
getting involved in student brawls. Besides, my English
competency surpasses that of my neighbor's children," said Wicak
Darmawan, a second-grade junior high student at an international
school in Central Jakarta.

Each international school has its own admission requirements
and procedures. The North Jakarta International School applies
admission procedures based on previous academic records (except
in pre-kindergarten and some cases in kindergarten and even in
Grade 1), an interview, and the school's English and math
placement examinations.

The school which is located in Kelapa Gading Jakarta,
currently has students representing 25 different nationalities
with an age of between four to 15 years. It sometimes admits
students who are complete beginners in English and will enroll
them if they show evidence of being able to adapt to the language
and program, even if this requires a considerable period of
transition.

Because the ability to learn English is essential for academic
and social success at NJIS, the school reserves the right to
restrict the admission of non-English speaking children in a
given class or grade if it is felt that additional non-English
speaking children at this grade level would be difficult to
accommodate effectively.

If, after a child has already been enrolled, the school
becomes aware of learning differences outside of the range
described above, the school reserves the right to withdraw the
offer of enrollment. This admission revocation is particularly
applicable if the parents have not been completely honest in the
presentation of information at the time of application.

The school offers an American-based international school
curriculum and most of the textbooks and resources are imported
from the United States. However, a wide variety of teaching
strategies are employed.

At the elementary level, most subjects at NJIS are taught by
the homeroom teacher, only some subjects like Bahasa Indonesia,
physical education (health studies and personal development are
integrated into various disciplines), computer, and music are
taught by specialists.

For high school students, there are additional subjects like
debating, public speaking, newsletters and yearbooks. Children
can also enjoy extra-curricular opportunities such as drama,
field trips, and a wide-range of sports.

Meanwhile, the Singapore Indonesian School provides an SIS
Language Development Program (SLDP) to students who are not yet
proficient in English, to quickly improve their standards in
English. Currently, there are two SIS schools for Indonesians: In
Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta, and Kebon Jeruk, West Jakarta.

Besides emphasizing core subjects like mathematics, science,
and English, SIS also focuses on mastering Mandarin as a second
language, which is well-structured so that it can fit in with the
beginners.

Like SIS, Gandhi National Plus School also teaches Mandarin as
a second language. Located in Ancol, North Jakarta, and
Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, the school also provides special
coaching in art, music, and dance, to tap the talents in the
children.

Meanwhile, children of more than 60 nationalities living in
Jakarta can learn how to appreciate multi-culturalism and enhance
personal and social development by fostering co-operation,
tolerance, confidence and respect for others as well as the
environment through learning and co-curricular activities at the
Jakarta International School (JIS) in Pondok Indah and Pattimura,
South Jakarta.

Take for example JIS' Middle School co-curricular activities
that include school exchanges, Bali stage events, awareness
weeks, awards programs, visiting authors, UN Day Festival,
service projects, house activities, ESP field trips, LC Field
Trips, guest speakers, picnic day, assemblies, dances/parties,
spirit days, and drama productions

JIS Middle School also provides counselors that always assist
students with personal and academic issues, monitor children's
welfare and academic progress, and consult with teachers and
parents when the need arises.