Teachers learn about quality

Tantri Yuliandini, The Jakarta Post, Depok

"When teachers take pride of what they do, then they are able to give the best to students," said M. Achmadi, principal of a state high school in Depok.

As part of Sampoerna Foundation's School Quality Improvement Program (SQIP), teachers from State High School No. 3 Depok have undergone training sessions changing the way they view their role as educators, and the presentation of material they teach in school.

During the paradigm shift sessions, teachers are reminded of their role in the education of future generations, and the importance of their choice of career.

"After all who appreciates teachers these days? If teachers do not appreciate their own profession, no one will," sports teacher and State High School No. 3's vice principal Benny RES said.

Besides awakening a sense of pride in teachers, they are also trained to become more creative in delivering lessons.

"All this time teachers are highly theoretical in their teaching, the training opened up our eyes to other methods of delivering a scientific concept," Achmadi said, explaining that it has also taught teachers to involve class participation, and as a result communication between teachers and students have become more open.

"Students then are more willing to participate actively in class, because they are not afraid of the teacher," he added.

SQIP was first launched in March, beginning with three state high schools in Depok, Sekayu in South Sumatra and Balikpapan in East Kalimantan.

It is expected that by 2010 some 33 state high schools across Indonesia will have participated in the program.

The idea was a cooperation between Sampoerna Foundation and regional administrations to provide the schools with high quality training for its teachers and principals in order to improve the school's teaching and management quality.

"We designed programs to improve the management skills of the principal, improve its school-based management, curriculum enrichment, development of teachers, and also development of students," Sampoerna Foundation's program and alumni affairs director Eddy F. Henry said.

He said that while the foundation provides for training, the regional administrations have agreed to meet the physical needs of the school.

The training are provided in cooperation with the Singapore's National Institute of Education and experts from top national universities, Eddy explained.

"After three years, we expect the schools to have excellent quality teachers, their graduates accepted at top universities, and the school itself self sustaining with good management," Eddy said.