Parents nowadays are quite selective in determining the schools in which their children will study and inquire knowledge from. The reasons for choosing one go beyond merely having their children taught and raised in formal institutions.

One of them is to nurture their skills and competence which are of course different from one child to another. The so-called international school -- whether realized by the parents or not -- applies different kinds of systems.

The first and probably the most important reason that international schools are the favorite option is the language of instruction used: English! It is known that in national schools, students learn English at the junior high level or year seven (some schools begin at the elementary level).

Acquiring and applying the language seems to be a daunting task for both teachers and students. Parents, the ones who get them into the schools, end up spending more money as they have their children in language courses or tutorials in order to overcome the language difficulty. Having them accepted in an international school where English is the language of instruction seems the best choice to take.

The next reason is the facilities the schools offer. Parents want their children to be exposed to various kinds of options which are beneficial for their learning and then to easily do these activities outside the classroom. This requires facilities such as gymnasiums, computer labs or music rooms. Thus, ease in not having the burden of bringing other things to school (besides books) supports this reason; i.e., having to take their guitar from home for music lessons or going to a public place to do sports such as a swimming pool or tennis court.

Higher academic standards applied in the school is the next reason why parents opt for this type of school. Most parents want their children to meet and even exceed the requirements set by the government for their children's further education. In the mind of the parents, failure in meeting this expectation could mean a failure in the entire academic process, and even more -- the future of their children.

The next reason is because of the curriculum. National schools, both private and public, apply the curriculum set by the government which has a variety of lessons that should be absorbed by the students at the same time. Of course, the lessons given are necessary to ensure the enhancement of the students' knowledge according to stages.

Nevertheless, the way they are conveyed in practice seems to burden the students. Instead of developing and nurturing them, the system treats the students as if they are robots, requiring them to memorize everything. They are not seen anymore as human beings who need to be given useful skills and knowledge for the sake of their future.

The quality of educators and staff in the school is also one of the main reasons taken into account by the parents before choosing which school their children should attend. It is important since most schools in Indonesia are now facing an issue of teacher accreditation to counter the problem of unqualified teachers.

Unfortunately, untrained teachers have already entered the battlefield of teaching and have received their experience and "training" there -- not from any training the schools give, but from the real teaching situation. Indeed, parents who are aware of this issue do not want their children to be the experiment. Therefore, they choose the international schools which promise to give their children qualified and committed teachers who are also given professional development.

The writer teaches at Sekolah Tunas Muda -- an International Baccalaureate School -- in Jakarta. She can be reached at mierza.m@gmail.com

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