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Education & training programs empower local communities in Bojonegoro and Tuban
Students are Indonesiaâs most promising resource and the key to Indonesiaâs future
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Students are Indonesia's most promising resource and the key to Indonesia's future. In order to support that, a quality education, ranging from proper infrastructure facilities to well-trained teachers are needed.
ExxonMobil believes that education is a driving force in achieving progress, development and economic growth. Its goal is to give the students the opportunity to become tomorrow's leaders. One of its endeavors in education initiatives revolves around the enhancement of the learning process.
ExxonMobil Cepu Limited has taken tangible action as part of its commitment to education and the empowerment of local communities in its areas of operation. Things began taking a turn for SMPN 1 Gayam and other schools in Bojonegoro and Tuban earlier this year.
In March, EMCL announced a US$1.9 million grant to support an education development program in these two regencies, near its Banyu Urip operations areas. This School Development Program is fully funded by Exxon Mobil Corporation.
In partnership with the Putera Sampoerna Foundation, the focus of the program is to improve the quality of teachers, school management and governance, as well as to establish school committees.
The School Development Program covers several aspects. Each program is developed through different strategies and activities. It focuses on whole-school development and a continuous improvement of school targets. The SDP is also designed to ensure the sustainability and impact of the Banyu Urip project to the neighboring communities.
The program is being applied to six secondary schools in Bojonegoro and Tuban for three years that will directly benefit more than 250 secondary school teachers, with students being indirect beneficiaries of the SDP.
The main activities involve workshops, mentoring, coaching, refurbishment, advocacy, monitoring and evaluation. The SDP consists of multiphase programs that include assessments, programs to enhance teacher professionalism and ones to empower school community participation.
In Bojonegoro regency, the SDP is helping state senior high school (SMAN) 1 Kalitidu, state junior high school (SMPN) 1 Gayam, SMPN 1 Purwosari and state vocational school (SMKN) 1 Purwosari. In Tuban, the program is aimed at SMAN 1 Soko and SMPN 1 Palang.
Each of these six schools is getting aid programs covering from teacher trainings and infrastructure in the form of a laboratory, a library and toilet facilities. Aside from the targeted six schools, the program has also applied teacher trainings that give benefits to teachers from six additional schools in Bojonegoro and Tuban.
All of these goals are part of the program's mission of helping the schools to exceed the eight national standards of education. According to Hanafi, the head of Bojonegoro's district education office, the program runs very much in line with the education agency goals.
"Developing facilities for education like labs, libraries and teacher quality are national education priorities," Hanafi said. "When teachers have enthusiasm outside of the classroom, it can hopefully generate quality students. It has to be supported by meaningful infrastructure. That's why I say that EMCL's SDP is very relevant for national education.'
Numerous improvements
Community feedback for the SDP thus far has been overwhelmingly positive. According to Syafi'i, the principal of SMPN 1 Gayam, the school has seen numerous improvements thus far as a result of the SDP. "What we can see as most apparent is the way student seating arrangements have changed. They are now in a U-shape, compared to the old theater-style seating system. Students now are more attended to by each teacher. Each teacher also has applied a system of teaching that is based on discussions with students, involving them in the learning process.'
Another representative of SMPN 1 Gayam speaking out in praise of the changes that SDP has brought about was Rumadi, the chief of SMPN 1 Gayam's school committee. Like Syafi'i, Rumadi said that students had become more open and active when it came to learning. They have become far more enthusiastic in welcoming learning activities.
"You can see changes in the improved school facilities, such as the library, the new and complete laboratory and the clean school toilet. The school management has also become much more communicative with us when it comes to the teaching and learning process at school," Rumadi said.
By the end of the SDP, the targeted schools will have implemented the 2013 curriculum through a thematic and scientific approach that creates a learning process which is active, creative and effective, as well as fun. The hope is also that schools and school communities will have better relations by the end of the project. By establishing these model schools, the program is expected to inspire other schools to develop and improve their quality and performance.
Aside from education, developing local economic growth is also one of EMCL's focuses as part of its commitment to the well-being of the communities near its operation areas. In creating competitive community business groups, training and capacity building programs are needed to support local communities with proper skills and management.
In collaboration with the nonprofit Bina Swadaya Foundation, a new community learning center in Banyu Urip has been established with a US$2.1 million contribution from EMCL and its Cepu block partners, PT Pertamina EP Cepu and the Cepu Block Cooperation Body, with the support from SKK Migas.
The center, which will assist 550 households in 20 villages and two hamlets in Bojonegoro and Tuban, will help build local capacity in product development, financial management, marketing and supply chain opportunities, as well as business mentoring. This initiative is part of a series of economic development programs in Banyu Urip project partnering with various local and national NGOs since 2013 which has reached 1,600 households.
In addition to the community learning center, EMCL has also initiated a business incubator program which provides training in environmentally-friendly practices in agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries and home industries. One of its beneficiaries is Ifa Zumrotun Naimah, a treasurer of Weaver Ant Association, one of the community business groups developed by this program.
According to Ifa, she has developed her skills further on how to cultivate weaver ants through various trainings provided by this program. Weaver ants are often sold as bird feed. 'I'm happy because now I can help contribute to my family income through selling weaver ants,' she said. 'Through the association, we can now expand our market to other cities which makes this business very promising.'
'We are proud to work with Bina Swadaya Foundation and the Putera Sampoerna Foundation on these important programs,' said Jon M. Gibbs, President of ExxonMobil Cepu Limited. 'By working together with the local communities, we continue to help improve the quality of life in the areas where we operate.'
