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Jakarta Intercultural School opens inclusive learning program for neurodivergent children
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(Courtesy Jakarta Intercultural school (JIS))
O
n Wednesday, Jakarta Intercultural school (JIS) inaugurated the JIS Learning Center, a specialized program for neurodivergent children. It further strengthened the school’s commitment to provide an inclusive educational environment for students with multicultural backgrounds.
To that end, JIS strives to commit itself to the rights of children, including those with neurodiversities or developmental delays, according to JIS head of school, Maya Nelson, in her opening remarks.
“We want to be a place that promotes inclusivity and diversity, where children and adults can learn from one another and with one another. With the opening of this program, we state strongly that all children can learn and that all children have a place in school.” said Maya.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiago Uno and director for high school and special education teachers at the Teachers and Educators Directorate General, Yaswardi.
“For a traditional school to transform into an inclusive school, it needs the support of a good curriculum, skilled and experienced teachers, the appropriate facilities and infrastructure, as well as adequate programs and budget,” said Yaswardi.
“We are confident that [the JIS Learning Center] will serve as a hub for the development of learning programs for children with special needs. My respects to JIS Pattimura,” he added.
The JIS Learning center is a supportive space for children aged 4-11 with mild to severe global developmental delays, with no more than eight students in each classroom to ensure that they receive all the attention they need. It will also utilize a two-pronged approach that emphasizes both academic and life skills. The curriculum includes traditional reading, writing and mathematics, as well as physical and social-emotional engagement.
“In the world, there are neurodiverse people; there are people with all different types of learning abilities and styles, skills and socialization. We want to make sure that’s represented in our community as well. At JIS, we are consistently increasing our ability to provide inclusive education to students with a wide variety of learning variations,” explained JIS education specialist Donise Lyons.
Currently, seven students are enrolled in the program’s inaugural classroom at the Pattimura Elementary (PEL) campus in South Jakarta. There are also plans to extend the program to the middle school and high-school levels over the next three years.
“Our purpose is to ensure that students can stay with us long-term and have support for the entirety of their learning journey,” Donise added.
