International classes 'not better quality'

Fri, 06/27/2008 10:06 AM | City

Although state schools are funded by the government, they are not necessarily equal in quality. Various labels have been attached to different types of state schools. There are international standard schools (SBI), international standard pilot-project schools (RSBI), national standard schools (SSN), model schools and regular schools.

RSBI refers to state schools that are in the process of becoming SBIs. SSN refers to state schools that have qualified teachers, complete school facilities and have had good academic achievements. Regular schools refer to state schools with modest human resources and facilities, while model schools are those in the process of becoming SSN schools

Ade Irawan from the Indonesian Corruption Watch public service monitoring division, called the labels discriminatory, saying the more prestigious the school's label, the more money parents have to pay.

"It is just a way to legalize charging parents more money while releasing the government of its responsibility to make education available to everyone," he said.

There are also categories for private schools. One label is national plus, which is given to schools that combine national and foreign curricula and foster an English-spoken environment. Some international schools adopt a complete curriculum from its brother or sister school abroad.

Education expert Mochtar Buchori, 82, said the categorizing of schools nowadays reminded him of the Dutch colonial era, where schools were also divided into such social groups -- from the highest, referring to the Dutch schools, to the lowest, Indonesian schools, established by the local people.

"Schools compete to achieve the international label, which actually widens the social gap further because it reduces equal educational opportunity for all children," Mochtar said.

He said the labels were merely cosmetic.

"Nice buildings and facilities are taken into consideration. Whether all of those are efficiently used, is another matter.

"Those schools probably are a little better, but not so much better to justify the fees charged to parents," he said.

Mochtar said there was no official agency monitoring the development and operations of each of those schools. "Even if there were one, it would be ineffective and corrupt with bureaucracy."

However, head of the Jakarta Secondary Education Agency Margani M. Mustar said "All high schools and vocational schools in Jakarta are monitored by the our agency, except for international schools."

There are a total of 498 high schools in Jakarta, comprising 116 state high schools and 382 private high schools, while there is a total of 577 vocational schools, consisting of 62 state and 515 private schools.

There are currently 16 state and private high schools holding international classes, and 15 national plus standard high schools.

Mochtar said "The most effective monitoring comes from good relations and communication between parents and teachers. There should be constant dialogue between them.

"Parents must care and not put all the responsibility on teachers the minute their children go to school," he said.
--JP/Agnes Winarti

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