Remarkable Schools in Indonesia, 2021

2021 | VOL-08 | ISSUE-02

REMARKABLE

SCHOOLS IN INDONESIA,

2021

BANDUNG

INDEPENDENT SCHOOL TRAINING GROUNDS FOR INDONESIA’S BEST AND BRIGHTEST

EDITOR’S NOTE

INDONESIA – TAKING GIANT STRIDES IN IMPROVING THE EDUCATION SYSTEM

L

ong beaches, particularly in Bali, islands, forest lands, and wildlife identify the ethnically rich Indonesia. But the world’s largest archipelago has more to boast than just tourism. It has, for instance, made noticeable changes in its education system that have grabbed the attention of the world.

The past two decades have seen Indonesia progress significantly in education. This includes quality education, better enrolment, gender parity, and lesser dropout rates. Achieving these has not been very easy for a country that was engulfed with a myriad of challenges.

But with the government’s will to spend on education following decentralization and private players catering to the educational needs of ex-pats and locals, Indonesia has achieved a milestone in education.

The country today boasts of good education in public schools and many private schools as well.

How much children learn throughout their academic life is directly proportional to what they can produce in their professional careers. This, in turn, helps in contributing to the economy and development of the country. Recognizing the need to equip students with skills that would help them succeed in the job market, the government and educationists have been taking the necessary steps.

In our quest to pick the best educational institutions for our latest edition of The Knowledge Review, Remarkable Schools in Indonesia, 2021, we stumbled upon a few that traversed an extra mile to provide world-class education.

We are sure you will find this edition as interesting as we did while curating it. Please, do also read the expert’s point of view in the CXO section and the articles curated by our in-house editorial team.

Have a great read! T R

Having improved access to education, the country is now trying to overcome the challenge of improving the quality of education. It has been visibly successful in doing so and has many more miles to go. The Indonesian government aims to provide world-class education across the country by 2025. If educators follow the president’s ambitious plan to do so, there will be no looking back for Indonesia to be a country that would be academically sought-after. At present, the country is basking in the glory of its achievements in improving the education system and the efforts that it is taking to make further progress.

Sumita Sarkar sumita@theknowledgereview.com

C O V E R S T O R Y

08 BANDUNG

INDEPENDENT SCHOOL

Training Grounds for Indonesia's Best and Brightest

20

A R T I C L E S

32

In Hindsight

The Way Forward

Evolution of the Role of Teachers in the Pandemic

Need for education reforms in Indonesia to meet global demands

24 Dyatmika School

Developing Students as Responsible Citizens who Act Ethically

C X O s

16

28

Educators who Care

Know Your Path

Building harmonious and long-lasting relationships with students

Finding your True Professional Path

AUGUST, 2021 sales@insightssuccess.com

People behind this edition

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Editor-in-Chief Sumita Sarkar

Managing Editor Aditya Umale Contributing Writer

We are also available on:

Vinayak Ghorpade

Assisting Editor Darshan Parmar Art & Design Head Priyanka Rajage Co-designer Rahul Shinde Operations Head Megha Mishra

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REMARKABLE

SCHOOLS IN INDONESIA

2021

Name of the Institution Bandung Independent School

Citra Indonesia Elementary School

German School Jakarta

Green School

Jayakarta Montessori Schoolhool

Khadija School

Pelangi Kasih School

Sekolah Dyatmika

Universitas Surabaya

Wesley I nternational School

URL

Brief

bisedu.or.id

Bandung Independent School helps world-class students to access world-class opportunities while nurturing individual potental and be an internationally minded school of excellence.

citraindonesia.sch.id

Nuanced "At Home Atmosphere" through the personal touch approach, Citra Indonesia Elementary School has become the school of choice for fun development and learning.

dsjakarta.de

greenschool.org

German School Jakarta inspires, challenges, and empowers each and every child to realise their potential, live a fulled life, and make a positive contribution to tomoroow's complex, global communities.

Green School strives to champion a new model of education that nurtures the whole child, giving them agency in their own lives and learning, so that they can thrive with purpose in the everchanging world.

jktmontessori.com

Due to the ever-increasing appeal of the Montessori education, the school evolved into a complete primary program, providing education to children from 2 years old through to elementary grade 6.

khas.sch.id

Khadija School is established so as to augment future Muslim women who are able to prove to the world that Muslim women play an important role and are able to educate future world leaders.

pelangikasih.or.id

Pelangi Kasih School hopes to be a place for children, parents, and all ranks to learn, grow, and together become real examples in matters of faith.

dyatmika.org

Sekolah Dyatmika offers brilliant educational programs which ensure the overall development of the students. At Dyatmika School, each class is supported by highly skilled and experienced bilingual teachers and full-time teaching assistants.

ubaya.ac.id

Since its inception until now and in the future, Universitas Surabaya remains fully committed to prioritizing quality, character, and excellence.

wesleyinterschool.org

Wesley International School is an academic learning community that challenges students to glorify God in every thought, word and deed.

C O V E R S T O R Y

BANDUNG INDEP

It is our hope that students discover their passions during their time at BIS, whether that happens during or outside the traditional school timetable

PENDENT SCHOOL Training Grounds for Indonesia's Best and Brightest

T

he highland city of Bandung is about two-and-ahalf hours drive away to the southeast of Jakarta, and overwhelmingly is the destination of choice for Jakarta residents to get away for the weekends and long holidays. Of late, it has also become a frequented holiday resort for tourists from Singapore and Malaysia, who come here in droves to shop and enjoy the fabulous food and the serene nature. In the heart of this 'Parijs van Java' (the Paris of Java), is located one of the foremost schools in all West Java – the Bandung Independent School.

Bandung Independent School (BIS), originally named Bandung International School, was established in 1972 as a non-profit foundation to support the expatriate community of the city. Operating first as an elementary school, the foundation eventually opened early childhood, middle school, and high school. BIS now supports students from ages 3-18, with one class at each grade level. BIS is an IB (International Baccalaureate) World School, offering the Diploma Programme since 2007 and the Primary Years Programme since 2004. BIS is also accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS) and New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).

The school’s guiding statements reflect its commitment to personalized learning and international mindedness. It values critical and creative thinking, responsible decisionmaking, resilience, empathy, and integrity.

Vision: To nurture individual potential and be an internationally-minded school of excellence.

Mission: Through relevant, challenging, and engaging programmes, BIS inspires every learner to become skilful and courageous, empowered to participate responsibly, successfully and with integrity in a global community.

A Well-rounded Education In Bandung Independent School's view, an academically challenging environment also means exploring multiple perspectives, exercising critical thinking skills, and taking responsible action in their communities. “If the purpose of education is to prepare students for active global

Remarkable Schools in Indonesia, 2021 citizenship, then maintaining rigorous standards is only one piece of the puzzle,” said the Head of School, Dr Michael Berry.

As an IB World School, BIS aims to develop the student holistically, and that its students develop conceptual understandings of several knowledge areas through an engaging but challenging curriculum. Subjects are not taught in complete isolation, as the faculty encourages their students to find meaningful connections between subjects to solve complex real-world problems. Along the way, they develop skills and attributes that help them collaborate, self-manage, inquire, and reflect.

At BIS, learning does not end at 2:45. The school offers a wealth of extra-curricular activities, from service clubs and team sports to musical dramas and tinkering projects. “It is our hope that students discover their passions during their time at BIS, whether that happens during or outside the traditional school timetable,” added Dr Berry.

Educators who Care BIS has employed a Wellness Coordinator who works with students in grades K-12 as well as with the teachers. Being an integral member of the BIS Student Support Team, the Wellness Coordinator supports students emotionally whilst also counselling those children who may require specialized support for learning.

Dr Michael Berry

Head of School

BIS's University Counsellor supports its students and their families in navigating the application processes for colleges and universities located all over the world and providing country specific information to each student. In addition, networking with institutions worldwide and offering advice on scholarships is another important role of the University Counsellor.

Scholarship Programs BIS also has scholarships, which are not based solely on academia. They are offered depending on a particular student’s ability to pay fees and other circumstances. Some of the scholarship opportunities that the students can avail for themselves are as follows: Ÿ EARCOS Global Citizenship award to a G11 student. Ÿ Science Fair Awards Ÿ IISSAC Sport's Awards - MVP Ÿ Students have the opportunity to work towards the SEAMO award in Math. Ÿ Immerse Education Essay Competition.

Currently, BIS offers American high-school Diploma and International Baccalaureate Diploma.

The school’s philosophy is in direct alignment with that of the IB as evidenced by our guiding statements and our involvement with our local community

Through relevant, challenging, and engaging programmes, we inspire every learner to become skilful and courageous, empowered to participate responsibly, successfully and with integrity in a global community Enduring Hardships For much of the education sectors globally, Covid-19 has proven to be a tough challenge to navigate. In March 2020, BIS and other Indonesian schools were made to adapt to online learning and teaching. A year later, the school is still not permitted to hold face-to-face classes. However, in August 2021, BIS anticipates welcoming its learning community back to campus.

To help overcome this challenge, BIS assures that it has developed an effective distance learning platform that has allowed BIS students to continue to advance academically.

However, as it is well known, students are struggling with the isolation they are feeling due to their inability to physically be in the classroom with their classmates. The faculty at BIS recognizes this. They take the time to meet with students throughout the day and during ‘dragon time’, advisory classes, to offer support or simply to chat with the pupils about their lives, school, or anything else that may be on their minds.

Refining the Pedagogy As an IB World School, BIS considers it is inherent that it gives back to its local community. Being an internationallyminded school, it takes pride in working with schools to strengthen the holistic learning experiences for BIS’s as well as other schools’ students. The school’s philosophy is in direct alignment with that of the IB as evidenced by its guiding statements and involvement with the local community.

Competition for student enrolment is high at Bandung.

However, the BIS team feels that the school offers a great

deal to its families that other schools may not. Firstly, BIS offers the IB (International Baccalaureate) curriculum from early childhood through to high school. The rigorous curriculum that is facilitated by highly experienced and skilled IB practitioners prepares the students to be successful in the future by teaching 21st century skills.

Secondly, the BIS community is incredibly close, tight-knit, and supportive.

Expressing his pride on being a part of the Bandung family, Dr Michael Berry added: “We often speak of developing a sense of a collective efficacy where parents, teachers, students, administration, and the Board are all working towards the same goal of creating a student-centred school committed to student success and well-being academically, socially, and emotionally – a truly holistic approach to education.”

A Bright Future In terms of teaching and learning, Bandung Independent School is in the process of becoming authorised to be dignified as an IBMYP (IB middle years programme) school. The school already offers the prestigious IBPYP and IBDP curriculum. By offering the rigorous IBMYP, BIS will soon be the only school in the West Java province to offer all three IB programmes, making it the first IB Continuum school in the area.

BIS does not believe in resting on its laurels; it strives to become a better school that benefits its community. At the high school level, the IBDP scores are consistently above the world average. Additionally, the school’s MAP standardized assessment scores go beyond the world average. With the commitment to continue to develop their already highly skilled teachers and by reuniting new educators with proven experience in the IB, the school aims at improving on its previous successes.

BIS recently completed its most recent strategic plan.

The Board, the senior leadership team and various stakeholders are all keenly looking forward to creating new strategic plans that encompass their philosophy and ethos, encapsulated in the mission, vision, and value statements.

BIS trusts that this new plan will help guide the decisionmaking process across all aspects of the school including curriculum development, developing a robust Master Plan for the infrastructure of the buildings on its camps, allowing for ubiquitous access to the world-wide-web, all the while designing an aggressive marketing campaign to continue to attract students and teachers, globally, to this crème de la crème of community schools.

Building

harmonious long-lasting

and

relationships with

students

T

he famous Sanskrit adage often quoted in Hinduism “Matha Pitha Guru Devo Bhava”, highlights the importance of teacher. Here the author throws light on the ways of building harmonious and long-lasting relationships with the students beginning their college life; from the perspective of experts, students and the author himself.

About the Author

I. Experts’ opinion: Establishing mutually respectful relationship: “Respect comes in two unchangeable steps: giving it and receiving it”. Giving respect is collective of: consideration, concern, attention and appreciation. Some teachers are more concerned with what they teach students more than earning their respect or respecting the students.

Investing time with Students: The most ideal thing to do to develop good relationship with the students is to listen to them, share your stories and experiences, a healthy sense of humor and most importantly to develop a genuine interest in their interests.

Understanding individual differences: As a teacher understanding the individual difference and satisfying the need of the learners according to individual’s difficulty level increases the bond of transferring ideas and bringing in the behavioral modification.

Dr. C. Ananda Vayaravel is a passionate teacher educating the students of Medical and Allied Health Sciences; enlightening them with his innovative methods for the past 21 years. He possesses more than 20 national and international publications together with 5 patents to his credit. Top 10 Principal of the year 2020, Best Academician 2020, Best Writer 2021 & Best Researcher 2021 are his accolades, being appreciated for empowering the students nationally. Currently he is the Professor & Principal of Sri Venkateshwaraa College of Paramedical Sciences (www.svcpms.ac.in), Puducherry.

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Educators who Care

Dr. C. Ananda Vayaravel Professor & Principal Sri Venkateshwaraa College of Paramedical Sciences, Puducherry

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II. The Voice of Students: The author did a survey among his medical and paramedical students about their expectations from a teacher, for a harmonious relationship and enacted some of their key feedback.

Unbiased activity: Interacting with every student, giving hope and treating them equally Applying maxims of teaching: Explaining complicated things in a simpler manner Recognition: Offer criticism in person and express encouragement and well-deserved praise amid peers Rapport: Being friendly rather than a strict master One of the students quoted the widely celebrated fact that “Parents are the first teacher and Teachers are the second parents”. Another student quoted “A good teacher is equivalent to 1000 books.”

III. Expression of my years’ experience: There occurs a major transition from school to college, where the student mingles with their new fellow mates from different socio-cultural, socio-economical and sociobiographical setup.

First and foremost, they should be encouraged to let go of their inhibitions by making them feel welcome and appreciated. Fun socializing activities and games can be used as ice breakers. Often when language is an issue, students should be highly encouraged to think and speak in whatever language they are comfortable with.

Taking control of the classroom: Didactic and monotonous lectures should be replaced by interactive short sessions which makes the class room livelier and encourage participation. The teacher must have a broad mind to continue his learning process as Rabindranath Tagore quotes “A lamp can never light another lamp unless it continues to burn its own flame”.

A teacher has to play multiple roles; as a friend, philosopher and guide, with a proper margin of rapport between a teacher and a student.

In a nutshell, a teacher must make use of the 3 ’H’ (Head, Heart and Hand) carefully, to build a long lasting and worth full rapport with the students.

Benefits of positive student-teacher relationship: Boosts academic achievements, helps students to avoid behavioral challenges, assists students in developing selfworth and improving their mental health, assists educators in their professional development. Keeps the channel of communication open, makes teachers approachable and encourages students to learn better by emulation.

Limitations: One-to-one attention: This remains the principal limiting factor in today’s education; mainly owing to the decreased student-teacher ratio. Alternative approaches are being made by the concept of Mentor-Mentee program, forming students' grievance cell or counseling cell where the students are encouraged to come forward and have a disclosure.

Communication: The biggest communication problem is we do not listen to understand; rather we listen just to reply.

An ideal teacher should be a strong listener and focus on the needs of the student. Sometimes what a student needs most may not be on the lesson plan.

Update with technology: Understanding the contemporary situation, the teacher must update himself with the latest technical gadgets to keep himself up-breast of new technologies that’s present in the present teaching-learning market.

Any limitations can be limited and nullified with this takehome message for all the teachers from my side “Students don’t care how much you know until they come to know how much you care for them”.

Paradigm shift has already taken place from teaching mode to learning mode. The teacher is not supposed to teach what he knows; rather he has to educate what the students are expected to know.

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In Hindsight

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Evolution

of

the

Role

of

Teachers the in

Pandemic

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T

he thrilling lively environment, where the school is crowded with students making a loud noise, versus the empty school with pin-drop silence, and the dreadful environment – Covid-19 pandemic completely transformed the education systems all over the world.

Lockdowns shifted offline classes to online, and the traditional style of chalk-and-talk switched to click-andtalk. This transformation was completely different for the teachers and students.

The new approach was difficult to adapt easily. Technology helped to connect students to their teachers, but it came with its own challenges. The in-person lecturing model was not the same as the remote learning model. Remote learning was untested and unprecedented before the pandemic and implemented on a trial-and-error basis without proper planning. This new working style underlined many problems that lies ahead of teachers.

Challenges Faced by Teachers During online learning, it was a common scenario, where the teacher is teaching something and the students with muted mics, turned off cameras, are watching TV. They were just attending the online class rather than learning and understanding the concepts. The involvement of students was only limited to online presence. They were not completing their assignments on time and it was difficult for teachers to personally assist them.

Another major hurdle was the network issue. The network was very poor in some of the rural or less developed areas.

It was very frustrating for both the teachers and students to continue the classes with frequent interruptions. According to a study, only 10% of teachers were satisfied with remote working. The unavailability of tools to create content in regional language was also a challenge. Interrupted power supply and absence of robust monitoring methods were only going to affect the flow of education.

Technology as an Asset Though the pandemic caused barriers in education, it has silver linings too. It triggered the advancement and use of technology for online learning. It brought the whole process on a single click. Use of different software or mobile apps such as Zoom, Google Meet, etc. increased. These apps ensured that the students would connect to their teachers.

countries planned effective and different strategies to deal with the education crisis. For example, in Cambodia, education leaders designed a strategy that combines printed handouts, SMS, and teacher’s feedback. Such innovative strategies resulted in fruitful feedbacks.

Supportive Role of System and Administration Almost all the countries shared guidelines for the teachers.

These guidelines included different activities such as giving feedback to the students, constant communication with their parents, keeping track of the process, and reporting to the higher authorities. Some countries implemented different strategies. For example, Costa Rica developed a digital toolbox with educational resources, which worked as a guide for autonomous work.

Some governments developed an open line of communication between teachers and administration to understand their needs and concerns. This resulted in the smooth flow of education, and it became easier to track the progress of students. The state of Minas Gerais in Brazil developed the mobile application ‘Conexao Escola’, for better communication between teachers and students. This move eliminated the throughout working of teachers and reduced their workload.

Need of Strategy to Redefine Education Sector Online education is completely different from traditional education. It is not limited to schools only and will influence the students’ approach too. During the exams, it was very easy to answer the questions by searching on the internet. This resulted in an increased percentage of students in exams. A high percentage does not guarantee that the students have gained much knowledge. They just know how to score but they do not possess the brilliance.

So, to bring out their talent, teachers now have to develop a unique strategy. The question papers should be nonsearchable on the internet and have depth to test the understanding of students. The level of education must be higher so that system will produce qualified students. For this, a robust and comprehensive strategy is required, which will boost the socio-educational progress and provide psychological support to ensure teacher’s well-being.

Afterall, teachers are the architectures of society.

Some schools arranged training programs for teachers to troubleshoot their technology-related problems. Some

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- Vinayak Ghorpade

Dyatmika School Developing Students as Responsible Citizens who Act Ethically

E

ducation is not merely confined to the pages of a textbook or assignments and term-end examinations. It involves developing children as global citizens of tomorrow and inculcating in them good qualities, which would make them responsible, forwardlooking people. Hence, it is a major responsibility of schools and other educational institutions to nurture children from the core, encouraging them to think deeply and take ethical decisions.

learning tasks designed around thematic units. Activities are designed to foster: – social and emotional skills – fine and gross motor skills – intellectual development

One that is noteworthy in Indonesia is Sekolah Dyatmika. Established in 1995, it is a not-for-profit school founded by national and international parents over twenty-five years ago.

While student numbers have grown from a single class to a student body ranging from playgroup to the graduating class 12, the school continues to have a community feel.

Sekolah Dyatmika is embedded within Bali while being outward looking and welcoming.

The primary section of Dyatmika prides itself upon its genuine love for their students, not only from the staff body but from the community, and beyond. The teaching and learning programme of the school allows students to prepare for their future, whether it be in Indonesia or internationally. The curriculum has a strong focus on mathematics and language, both Indonesian and English, while also teaching about the wider world through engaging units of inquiry.

Upholding Educational Quality Sekolah Dyatmika offers excellent educational programs which ensure the overall development of the students. It offers various educational programs namely – early childhood, primary school, and high school.

Dyatmika’s Early Years Programme is active, fun, and child-centred. Early years students are guided through rich

Each class is supported by highly skilled and experienced bilingual teachers and full-time teaching assistants, who use a holistic approach that encourages the development of language for young learners in both Indonesian and English.

The high school section is committed to academic excellence, social and cultural integration, and continuous improvement in learning. Learning in this section is varied and enriching, covering the Cambridge curriculum in depth, while targeting each element of the Dyatmika Charter and Learner Profile.

Excellent Infrastructure Sekolah Dyatmika not only provides high-level educational facilities of the highest level, but also offers cuttingedge infrastructural facilities. The school is situated on one large, attractive campus that overlooks rice fields and the Indian Ocean. All buildings are purpose built and take advantage of the views and fresh sea breezes. There are specialised areas for sports, science labs, computer rooms, art studios, a library, a study centre, music rooms, a canteen, gardens and play areas. Classrooms are fitted with teaching and learning technology, for example, interactive whiteboards and projectors. Wi-fi is available throughout the school.

We want our students to understand what it means to manage the environment

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sensibly

Remarkable Schools in Indonesia, 2021

The school offers numerous primary facilities, which include the following: Ÿ Purpose-built music room Ÿ Sports field Ÿ Computer lab Ÿ Inspiring Library Ÿ Large all-weather playground and grassed playing fields Ÿ Covered, seated eating areas Ÿ Interactive white board in classroom The high school facilities offered by Sekolah Dyatmika are as follows: Ÿ Sports field, sports hall, yoga/ dance studio Ÿ Three fully equipped computer labs Ÿ IT facilities in every classroom to support teaching and learning Ÿ Full Wi-fi coverage and 100mb internet Ÿ Three fully equipped science labs Ÿ Purpose-built art studio Ÿ Purpose-built music room Ÿ Music practice studios, and computer recording facilities Ÿ Inspiring library Ÿ Dedicated senior study library and resource centre Ÿ Canteen Ÿ Covered, seated eating areas The school has a library which provides access to over 10,000 books in both English and Indonesian to support the curriculum and the bilingual programme. Students also have access to magazines, eBooks, and online encyclopaedias through the Follett Destiny online database. The library is created to be a comfortable and well-resourced space for students to read, research, work in groups and use the computer facilities for independent work.

Exploring the Extracurricular Sekolah Dyatmika offers an extracurricular activities programme that allows the students to develop

their interests and capabilities across a wide range of areas. Its academic and extracurricular programme combine to offer a quality education that sees students thriving during their time at Sekolah Dyatmika. They leave the school equipped to pursue further education, follow vibrant careers, and to live fully and well.

The Erudite Director The personality leading Sekolah Dyatmika from the front is none other than Julie Browett, the Director. She has been the Director of the school for

the past five years. During this tenure, she has worked with all sections of the school community to advance the school’s vision of Education for a better world and its ethos, expressed in the school’s charter.

Ms. Julie (B Ed, Grad Cert, Grad Dip, MEd) has held teaching and leadership roles in schools in Australia, Portugal, and Qatar. She was involved in the professional learning of teachers for many years facilitating courses, workshops, curriculum, and resource development at state and national levels in Australia. She also lectured in the Faculty of Education at the University of Tasmania. Ms. Julie is

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Students from classes 9 to 12 have biweekly lessons covering topics such as career planning, university courses, application procedures, presentations, and interviews. Every student of classes 11 and 12 is assigned a specialist counsellor depending on their chosen path. These students meet their counsellor at least twice per term to build and prepare their university application.

a published author and a speaker at education focused conferences in Australia, SE Asia, USA, and Europe.

We want our

Nurturing Life-Long Learners Being a not-for-profit school, Sekolah Dyatmika offers competitive fees in an expensive international education environment. Learning in the school is varied and enriching, covering the Cambridge curriculum in depth, while targeting each element of the Dyatmika Charter and Learner Profile.

students to accept their responsibility for the preservation of the natural world

It conducts stimulating and engaging lessons with an emphasis on continual improvement both for the students and the teachers. Each subject has clear schemes of learning which are shared with students and parents, so everyone knows the next steps in learning.

Preparing Students for Higher Education Sekolah Dyatmika closely supports the students with university applications.

Ensuring Overall Development of the Students Sekolah Dyatmika’s policies and procedures have been designed to meet the personal, social, and academic needs of the students. It aims to promote a positive, safe, and supportive learning culture. There are many communication channels between the school and the parents to ensure that the students are supported in their behavior and wellbeing. A school counselling program is available to students who require further support. The school’s authority understands that the students possess a range of abilities and talents in different areas. It gives them the opportunity to thrive and reach their potential.

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Finding your

True Professional

Path

F

igure this out; an average career person spends most of his or her waking time at work. Even when relaxing away from work, the thoughts keep wandering back to work matters. If it happens that the work feels boring or unsatisfying, it can easily take a toll on that person’s physical and mental health. Just thinking of tolerating long hours of mundane tasks or thinking of waking up the next day to a dreadful job can lead to frustration, stress, or even depression. In addition, it can be very difficult to advance in such a career.

That is why leading a meaningful, fulfilling, and lifelong career path is very important for your overall wellbeing.

However, finding your true career path is easier said than done. Many factors come into play when settling on a career path. There is your passion, childhood dreams, family expectations, and the need to pay for bills, just to mention but a few.

Considering all these, how do you find your true professional path? Here are four steps that you can take to discover the career path that is right for you: 1. Assess your 4Ps Your career path should be shaped around your passion, preferences, personality, and principles. Put these four elements into considerations when choosing your professional path.

Doing something that you are passionate about will make you happy in your work. It will give you a sense of a purpose and you will have an inner drive that will push you forward. If you are lucky enough to combine your profession with your passion then it will not feel like work, it will be more of a pleasure. Moreover, not only will you make a living out of it, but your job will give meaning to your life.

When it comes to preference, you would thrive better doing something in the nature of what you prefer. For instance, do you prefer working full time or on a flexible schedule? Or do you prefer working in an office setup or the outdoors? Do you prefer to work with your hands or be in front of a laptop? Do you like having a setup plan or going with the flow? Keep all these questions in mind when you are considering future career choices.

Your personality would also matter in that if you are the reserved type or an introvert, you can find it hard to work well with people. Taking up a career where you don’t have to deal with a lot of people would be your best bet. On the other hand, if you are a lively

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Know Your Path

Tringa Bells About the Author Tringa Bells is a physical therapist and loves everything related to exercising and outdoor activities. She loves spending time with her family, her friends and she love traveling and coding. Her hobby is writing, and she loves to express herself through words. On her free time, she loves to take care of kids and works as a nanny.

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extrovert, you will feel energized by being around big groups of people. If you have an artistic mind, you will succeed in more creative fields, whereas analytical minds will feel better if they have to deal with numbers.

Lastly, we all have life principles that we live by. Your right career path should align with and enhance your principles in life. If altruism is crucial in your life, you should find careers that make a difference in the world and help people. Similarly, if you feel strongly about social justice, you might consider working for different human rights organizations that are in alignment with your life principles.

You can take personal assessment tests online to discover your 4Ps. 2. Make a list of your options After discovering your passion, preferences, personality, and principles, write down career options that match these four. For passion, think of the things that you can do even if you were not paid. Your hobbies should give you a good place to start

from. For preference, write down career options that align with what you prefer in a day-to-day work environment. Do the same for your personality and principles. The idea here is to come up with an exhaustive list in order to make sure that you don’t leave any stone unturned.

3. Find an overlap After coming up with a long list of career options, you need to start narrowing it down to the one that is truly right for you. This is the point where you need to find your career sweet spot. This is the point where what you are good at, what you enjoy doing, and what the world or employers need come into an intersection.

In the list that you have, think of what you are good at in terms of skills.

Think of what you enjoy doing in terms of interests. Finally, put into consideration that one of the goals of being a career person is to make a living out of your work. Research on whether the careers that match what you are good at and what you enjoy have a demand in the job market. If there is no demand for it, are there ways that you can monetize them and make money out of them?

Settle on a career where the three overlap seamlessly.

4. Develop your skills After settling on a single career path, now is the time to assess and develop the skills necessary to succeed in it. If you are already working in that line of work, you can use your current position to take advantage of on-thejob-training opportunities to develop your skills further. You can also look out for internship positions or places you can volunteer to have a glimpse of the day-to-day work and hone your skills while at it.

If you have no prior training in the same, you will need to acquire the necessary training and certification.

Different careers require different qualifications, and most importantly, they all require you to pass the tests.

For instance, if you settled on working in the medical field as a physician, you would need to pass the USMLE Step 1 exam. This is a challenging exam that requires thorough preparations. You can prepare yourself by going through USMLE practice questions to ensure that you pass well and gain certification that allows you to practice as a physician.

Conclusion It is true that most people choose a career out of necessity. However, just because bills have to be paid doesn’t mean that you live your life stuck in a career that you don’t like. We are living in an era where we are more aware of the need for good mental health – and that starts with leading your true professional path. Follow the above steps to a land where you truly belong, career-wise.

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Need for

in

reforms

to meet

GLOBAL demands I

ndonesia is one of the most breathtakingly beautiful countries on Earth.

Made up of over 17,000 islands, grabbing itself the title of ‘The largest archipelago in the world’, Indonesia is also home to the third highest number of volcanoes in the world, of which, 79 are currently active. On top of that, Indonesia sports the second largest coastline in the world!

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The Way Forward

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A biodiversity hotspot, this sunny archipelago is home to the orangutan, the comodo dragon, and Rafflesia – the largest flower in the world. All comprising a truly singular dwelling for a vibrant mix of a multitude of cultures that is Indonesia.

more responsive to local demands. This also paved way for the transference of authority over state and public schools to regional governments. The incorporation of decentralisation also meant that teachers and principals are given more influence to manage their educational practices.

Indonesia is magnificent. And, of late, the education sector of this country is developing at an exponential rate, soon to match the leagues of the best education systems of the world. However, it would be amiss to not pay mind to the challenges faced by this sector today, for by analysing the challenges we may get the right solutions.

Over the past decade, there has been a conscious effort to improve education, at various levels, in Indonesia. Dr Michael Berry, the Head of School at Bandung Independent School, elaborated on the matter saying – “There has been a movement to decentralize education from the National Government allowing Local Governments to guide local Ministries of Education in areas such as curriculum development and overall management of their schools. With more effort into this area, this could prove to be valuable as Head Teachers and Heads of Schools can now make decisions based on what is best for their school.”

Indonesia has come a long way concerning educational progress during the Reformasi era of democratisation since 1998. In 2002, the newly democratic country signed on its constitution the requirement that governments at all levels dedicate at least 20 percent of their budgets to education.

This was a considerable development from the authoritarian era, wherein the education spending only counted for less than 1 percent of the GDP. This increase in the budget aided in the enhancement of the education system in terms of reach and access for many.

Many schools and universities had sprung since them contributing to a vast reaching educational enterprise.

But today, the major hurdles faced by Indonesia’s education system are that of improving the quality of education and not the access. The Indonesian Government aspires to build a ‘world-class’ education system by 2025. However, numerous assessments of the country's educational achievement indicate that it still has a long way to go before achieving that aim.

The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) tests conducted by the OECD in 2015 showed that Indonesian students were performing at lower levels in all areas – science, mathematics, and reading – than the OECD average.

Indonesia needs an education and training system that will promote citizens' well-being, increase human capital, and help the country accomplish its economic and development goals.

Decentralization and regional autonomy were first implemented in Indonesia in 2003 as part of a plan to enhance public services, speed up accountability, and increase transparency at the regional government level.

Decentralisation of education is seen as a critical component in making the country's educational system

“It would be really beneficial to Indonesia if the lines of communication between the local government and central government were defined and operated more clearly.

Oftentimes, schools can be left waiting for information from the Local Government due to miscommunication or no communication at all,” he added.

Looking ahead, Indonesia's information and communication technology (ICT) industry shows a promising future because the country is only getting started with IT solutions adoption and has lots of potential to expand. Dr Michael Berry shared his views on the proactive incorporation of ICT in Indonesia, saying “Technology and ICT have always been an integral aspect of 21st-century education. In addition, the COVID- 19 Pandemic has proven the importance of technology in teaching and learning.”

“Despite developments in Indonesia's technology infrastructure, there is always space for improvement. For example, access to technology and education, in general, should be more widespread allowing for more equitable education for all children who attend school in Indonesia,” concluded the astute Dr Berry.

The massive population of over 270 million inhabitants of this archipelago is an active market for the suppliers of ICT products, trends, and accessories. This vibrant country, after all, comes first in the world for the most average time spent on smartphones. Hence, it is the fastest growing mobile market in Asia-pacific. Thus, the heavy adoption of EdTech in the education systems around the globe promise an exciting time to be in Indonesia.

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- Aditya Umale