Tuesday, July 17, 2018
Today, Dawi Susilawati, our Indonesian Host Contact, gave a candid presentation about the education system in Indonesia, balancing what is on the books and the realities that she sees in the actual classroom. I discovered that most of the structure looks like the educational system of The United States. Certain nuances stood out to me, such as the average class size is 37-40 students across the board, for example. Could you imagine teaching 40 second graders with no teaching assistants?
The model resembles our older structure, with a K-6 primary school, the good old junior high school model for grades 7-9, and rounding out the experience with grades 10-12 in high school. There is a government cumulative test at the end of each school experience (grades 6, 9, and 12, respectively). Passing these tests in grade 12 will determine if you are eligible for a scholarship and have the opportunity to attend University, free of charge. If you fail, you can still go to college, but will need to pay on your own. As a result, many of these students will choose not to continue their education due to the financial burden.
One noticeable difference is that there are public schools and Muslim public schools. Not all Muslims go to the latter, but the more traditional families will want deeper immersion in the study of the Muslim faith. There are private schools, like the U.S., where parents pay to have smaller class sizes, better resources, and more prestige. Much like the U.S., location and school success appear to go hand in hand, with a major city like Jakarta achieving higher test scores, and more students going on to University than smaller cities and provinces.
Dewi is passionate about education, and we asked her so many questions that she was unable to finish before we needed to leave for the American Embassy. I will be adding more information to this blog later in the week when given the opportunity to finish.
Another notable difference, is that all students wear uniforms to school. Colors and combinations are representative of the three levels of education, as well as the school's individual identity. Dewi shared her concern about a particular tradition concerning uniforms that junior high and high school student do when they finish their exams and graduate. Students will "graffiti" their uniforms, and ride mopeds around the city, which is troubling as middle school students do not have licenses! It reminded me of the seniors in high school who want to skip, engage in a class pranks, and sometimes damage the building on their way out.
This stuck with me, because much like the United States, there are standards that must be met, and at the end of each experience students need this release. Why do students feel the need to be destructive on their way out? I feel we do not allow them time to psychologically disengage. Leaving high school is a major transition, and there is little to no breathing room for them to emotionally prepare for leaving.
Dewi spoke of the pressure students and teachers feel, trying to balance the government standards and the practical reality of teaching. It appears that teachers and students in Indonesia will need to plow through the curriculum regardless of student achievement in order to ensure that everything is covered for the exams. When I go on my field experience next week, I hope to learn more, as it appears similar to the problem facing many teachers in the U.S.
For any U.S. teachers reading my blog, take note. If you taught in Indonesia, you would be required to have a lesson plan ready at all times, as your principal will expect to see it when her or she comes into your classroom to evaluate you. It is not announced, so you must always be on your game. Obviously, you may be teaching something different than what is seen on paper, as we all need to adjust to our students's needs. Dewi stated that it will depend on your principal, as to whether the big picture will be taken under consideration, or you will be held accountable for going off script.
Dewi shared what the curriculum looks like in graphs and grids that appeared familiar to me. Much like the United States, there are standards that need to be followed in all subject areas. The high school breakdown can be seen below:
Students may go to a vocational school, where they can learn to work for a motor car company (like Honda or Toyota, for example) or they can move to grades 10-12 with the possibility of going to University. Students can choose from three tracks: Science, Social, and Language. If a school does not have the language teachers, then it can not be offered, leaving many schools in Indonesia with only the two other choices. The numbers next to each subject indicate how many hours they will be studying a week.
For all AHS teachers, I thought you may like to look at the teacher's schedule for Dewi's high school:
How's that for confusing? It actually makes more sense once you go through the piece. In Indonesia, the students stay in one place and the teachers move from classroom to classroom. The pairs of letters indicate the teacher's initials. DW represents Dewi's classes. She has two preparations as an English Teacher, for grades 10 and 11. Having two preps is even more stressful for teachers in Indonesia as they have to prepare for their standards with daily lessons plans well in advance. It is also important to note that she is only seeing each class once a week for two hours. It is difficult to build momentum. This was also true in Costa Rica, as my TEA Fellow Jerly Mora shared with me two years ago, when we worked together at AHS.
For my purposes, I am interested in learning what novels and poetry they read in Bahasa Indonesian classes which are the English class equivalent in this country.
Their school calendar begins in July and ends in June of the following year. However, they have around 120 days of school. The off days are spread out. There are many religious holidays that are observed for all students. There is a longer break separating the two school years. When we meet students next week with our host teachers, students will have just started a new school year.
I am hoping to learn more about the curriculum and teaching in Indonesia. I'll keep you posted!
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