International standard schools face shutdown after Indonesia court ruling
By Channel NewsAsia's Indonesia Correspondent Devianti Faridz | Posted: 21 February 2013 2253 hrs
JAKARTA: Ten years ago, Indonesia set up international standard schools with the aim of producing globally-competitive students.
But some say the project was a failure... and the Constitutional Court has recently called for the schools to be disbanded, as they are now considered to be discriminatory.
Students in one of the classes are learning Chemistry... not in Bahasa Indonesia, but in English.
This is one out of over 1,300 public schools nationwide that run classes following international standards.
The project that began in 2003 was meant to groom Indonesian students to compete globally.
Besides the national curriculum, schools employ internationally-recognised curricula and set higher standards for student enrolment and teacher qualification.
Anwar Farid, Vice Principal of SMA 68 High School, said: "The standards set in the programme motivate teachers to get a Masters degree and reach a certain TOEFL score of English proficiency. It motivates teachers to reach a higher standard. The applied curriculum combines the national curriculum and the Cambridge curriculum. This enhances teachers' and students' knowledge."
In international standard classes, Science, Math, Chemistry, Physics and Biology are mostly taught in English.
Adam Abdullah, an SMA 68 high school student, said: "This is a globalisation era, we need to speak English everywhere, even in our own country."
But a recent Constitutional Court ruling will put an end to these international standard schools, as they are now considered to be unconstitutional and discriminatory.
Febri Hendri, Public Service Monitoring Division, Indonesia Corruption Watch, said: "International standard schools provoke discrimination against other schools and within the community. Discrimination comes from the government giving privilege and much financial assistance to international standard schools."
International Standard Schools or RSBI school get a block grant from the government ranging from US$20,000 to US$50,000 a year for the first three years.
They are also allowed to charge higher school fees - US$2,500 a year - that includes Cambridge curriculum books and annual exams.
Students at regular or "normal track" public schools don't have to pay any school fees.
===============
First they stopped the study of Maths and Science in the schools.... now they go after International Schools....
How crazy can the Indons get? :*::*::*:
By Channel NewsAsia's Indonesia Correspondent Devianti Faridz | Posted: 21 February 2013 2253 hrs
JAKARTA: Ten years ago, Indonesia set up international standard schools with the aim of producing globally-competitive students.
But some say the project was a failure... and the Constitutional Court has recently called for the schools to be disbanded, as they are now considered to be discriminatory.
Students in one of the classes are learning Chemistry... not in Bahasa Indonesia, but in English.
This is one out of over 1,300 public schools nationwide that run classes following international standards.
The project that began in 2003 was meant to groom Indonesian students to compete globally.
Besides the national curriculum, schools employ internationally-recognised curricula and set higher standards for student enrolment and teacher qualification.
Anwar Farid, Vice Principal of SMA 68 High School, said: "The standards set in the programme motivate teachers to get a Masters degree and reach a certain TOEFL score of English proficiency. It motivates teachers to reach a higher standard. The applied curriculum combines the national curriculum and the Cambridge curriculum. This enhances teachers' and students' knowledge."
In international standard classes, Science, Math, Chemistry, Physics and Biology are mostly taught in English.
Adam Abdullah, an SMA 68 high school student, said: "This is a globalisation era, we need to speak English everywhere, even in our own country."
But a recent Constitutional Court ruling will put an end to these international standard schools, as they are now considered to be unconstitutional and discriminatory.
Febri Hendri, Public Service Monitoring Division, Indonesia Corruption Watch, said: "International standard schools provoke discrimination against other schools and within the community. Discrimination comes from the government giving privilege and much financial assistance to international standard schools."
International Standard Schools or RSBI school get a block grant from the government ranging from US$20,000 to US$50,000 a year for the first three years.
They are also allowed to charge higher school fees - US$2,500 a year - that includes Cambridge curriculum books and annual exams.
Students at regular or "normal track" public schools don't have to pay any school fees.
===============
First they stopped the study of Maths and Science in the schools.... now they go after International Schools....
How crazy can the Indons get? :*::*::*:
