The best start in the world: A national plus education

Kathryn Young and Janet Bennet, Jakarta

Do you want your child to be an effective communicator, a critical thinker, an inquirer, knowledgeable.........

When your child enters school he/she is all of those and it is a shared responsibility of the school and you, the parents, to keep the learning alive to ensure these attributes are enhanced as the child progresses through schooling and beyond.

Yes your child is an effective communicator -- from birth, each child knows how to gain attention to be fed, toileted, entertained and so on. Remember you were the child's first teacher.

Through your modeling your child continues to develop language skills through speaking, listening, reading and writing. The school you choose needs to use this prior knowledge and provide an environment that further extends knowledge, skills and understanding. Teachers and parents need to work together.

One often ignored context for learning, in the early years, is play -- indoor, outdoor, structured and unstructured play. All play has a valuable role in the education of young learners. Have you watched a group of children in the sand pit taking turns, sharing, cooperating and communicating with each other? Play provides a powerful context in which children learn as they actively engage socially, emotionally, physically and intellectually with people, objects, representations, events and ideas.

At some National Plus Schools students in the early childhood program are guided through play, structured and unstructured as they develop as critical thinkers, independent learners, collaborative workers and problem solvers to continue their educational journey as valuable, moral and tolerant members of a national and international community. An inquiry based approach underpins the teaching and learning process in a stimulating bilingual setting.

Investigations provide meaningful opportunities for learners to explore through activities that require problem solving, decision-making, drawing conclusions and seeking alternative solutions. Students are encouraged to question and seek clarification at all times. Students are inquirers.

Through providing real life situations the teacher is able to draw on cultural and social diversity and demonstrate the use of language, literacy and numeracy in their everyday lives. Focused learning at National Plus Schools occurs in large and small group settings or on an individual basis and the situations provides a context for developing children's knowledge about the world.

Continuous assessment through observation, focused analysis, personal interviews, checklists and rubrics directs the planning and implementation of a seamless curriculum. Student led conferences provide an avenue for students to celebrate and demonstrate their learning with their parents. This unique interaction between parents and child strongly reveals each child's understanding of knowledge and skills.

Some National Plus Schools are authorized to deliver the International Baccalaureate Organization Primary Years Program (PYP ) which impacts positively on the Early years program. This program establishes a foundation for a National and International curriculum incorporating the interests and needs of young learners.

A highly professional team meets to plan each week to provide maximum-learning outcomes implementing identified concepts, knowledge, attitudes and skills. Regular professional development through internal, external, national and international conferences, workshops or seminars play a big part in achieving quality learning outcomes for both students and staff. Parent workshops, organized each term are a popular interactive forum for both parents and teachers. This partnership encourages open communication and positive relationships for all stakeholders.

The school community reflects the ethos (spirit) of valuing individuality, respecting differences and promoting lifelong learning.

For example at Sekolah Global Jaya all of the five main religions of Indonesia are recognized and where possible the common beliefs of Hinduism, Islam, Catholicism, Christianity and Buddhism are integrated into the curriculum or Unit of Inquiry. In the Early years program students can be seen celebrating all religious festivals in a variety of ways that encourages further inquiry for enduring understandings that develop a natural respect for differences.

Are you looking for a school that promotes individuality, lifelong learning and internationalism?

There are a number of National Plus Schools that provide not only all of this but much more. Upon leaving one of these National Plus Schools students are equipped to study at any University in the world as well as exhibiting global attributes in preparation for their role as the future leaders of Indonesia. A number of National Plus Schools are proud to be some of the best schools in Indonesia, if not the world.

Janet Bennett is Primary Curriculum Coordinator of Sekolah Global Jaya. Kathryn Young is Primary Principal of Sekolah Global Jaya and Chairperson of the Association of National Plus Schools.