30 years of SPH, 30 years of raising generations

Amidst the high spirits of celebrating the school’s 30^th anniversary this year, investing in quality is a top priority. As an international Christian school, SPH is the school of choice for families who value excellent academics as well as the Christian faith. With the reopening of the school post-pandemic, SPH demonstrates its ongoing commitment to providing an outstanding learning experience through its various facility renovations. Across its five campuses, SPH is on a mission to open new libraries, playgrounds, makerspaces, music rooms, and athletic facilities. Executive Director Matthew Mann believes “these renovations measure up to what we call ‘SPH standard’ – that is to say, 21^st century, bright, collaborative, and student-centered.” He underscores that the essence of a great school does not lie in the building. What makes SPH a thriving and enduring school is the community of teachers and students and its nature of learning. All these upgrades are merely tools to serve the learning community by enhancing the academic team’s professional learning and the development of upgraded special services for students, such as learning support, English support, as well as social-emotional and career counseling.

Matthew recognizes that children have a tremendous capacity to learn when they are taught well. After his first visit to Indonesia, he shared, “SPH is well-known among Christian educators in North America as a school that highly values learning, that is authentic in faith, and that operates in beautiful facilities in an exotic country. It caught my attention!” It has been seven tremendous years since the Mann household, including his wife and six children, decided to take on the adventure. “We have not one regret about moving here. My wife and I love being part of something very dynamic and high impact.”

Carys Mihardja, a 2022 alumna who has moved on to Yale University recalled, “At SPH, we go beyond the superficiality of memorizing the syllabus. Instead, we are encouraged to lift our gaze from the pages of a textbook to the world that unfolds around us, to explore the question: how can we use what we know to help others? It’s easy for any school to teach its students. But to instill a deep sense of purpose in the pursuit of knowledge is what I believe distinguishes the learning experience at SPH from others.”

As a pioneer in Christian education, 25 years ago SPH became the first three-programmed IB school in Indonesia. Since then, it has expanded to include the Cambridge curriculum in some of its campuses. With a rich history in creating new schools, the vision of SPH has always been to have ten SPH schools in the nation. Fueled by innovative teams building on long-established strengths, SPH has ambitious plans for growth after the latest opening of SPH Pluit nine years ago. This 30-year journey marks a significant period, with the school reflecting on its continued effort to provide the best education for future generations.

“Over the past four to five years in SPH I have seen my children grow in their social skills, learning how to work together as a team, and learning to speak up when something is confusing. I see discipline as a big part of SPH culture, as they introduce biblical values to my children. Are there things that could be better? Definitely. But no school is perfect. For me, the community, character values, and care of the teachers in the growth of my children are what matters to me in this season. That’s why I chose SPH,” shared Grace Liu, alumna, and current SPH parent.

With almost thirty years in the education sector, SPH is one of the largest international schools in Indonesia, having 2200 students spread over five campuses. Though the journey has not always been smooth, it continues to be a progressive one. From the outset, SPH was a pioneering Christian school whose programs, facilities, and culture were unique and innovative. Yet the rapidly growing Indonesian economy enabled many entrepreneurial educators and businesses to build schools all around Indonesia. Families today are presented with an overwhelming array of schooling options and the number will only continue to grow. “In this competitive context, schools will only thrive if they can prove themselves to be adaptable, creative, and – above all – truly focused on loving and caring for students,” Matthew claimed.

Dumasi Samosir Wongso, a mother of three SPH Lippo Village alumni, says, “Our three children really amazed us with their way of thinking, their humility, independence, commitment, courage, responsibility, love for Indonesia, and willingness to take responsibility at their young age. We believe this stems from the basic education they received from Sekolah Pelita Harapan Lippo Village.”

What started in Tangerang has now developed into new campuses that facilitate families in the areas around Bogor, Cikarang, Kemang, and Pluit. Along with its faith-based and comprehensive learning approach, SPH thrives through its tight-knit community, where family plays a large role in the growth and functioning of the school.

If you missed SPH’s recent Open Day earlier this September, be on the lookout for its next one coming in November by visiting this link. In the meantime, explore the different SPH campuses and learn more about our programs at sph.edu.