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Selasa, 09 Desember 2008

Quo Vadis international school?

Quo Vadis international school?
"In times of drastic change, it is the learners who inherit the future." (E Hoffer)



In the National Education System Act of 2003, the government introduced the new classification of the school. The school is called, among other international schools (SBI), with the category of independent schools (SKM), and the usual school groups (SB). At SBI, the education given the space to use the syllabus of learning and assessment, which is generally used in secondary schools in countries that joined in the OECD. Syllabus learning and assessment functions as the only material to the enrichment of the national curriculum (KTSP). Meanwhile, for schools with the independent category, the education providers can use the semester credit system (SKS) as often in universities. On the other hand, ordinary schools only provide education in classical and using KTSP. Although the classification of schools that may well be seen to encourage change and improve the quality of education, socialization is not running because the maximum, the result is still a little confusing people.

In 2004/05, SMAN 70 Jakarta and the high school syllabus Labschool begin adopting the Cambridge Advanced Level (A Level) in order to enrich the national curriculum on the students. Furthermore, the same program introduced in the State Senior High School 8 Jakarta, SMA Negeri 21 Jakarta, and 68 state high schools in Jakarta. Now, international schools (SBI) is scattered in a number of districts and cities in the country. It is estimated, the end of budget year 2009, the number of SBI will reach 260 schools, consisting of 100 senior high schools, junior (100), and SMK (60), which is expected to be able to release the predicate school rintisannya (Pena Education / online edition, March 28, 2008) .



Good practices



Although the international qualifications of the program is still relatively short, some schools that use the Cambridge IGCSE / A Level in Jakarta has begun to show results of successful work severity. Performance and progress that is a result of the development, dampingan, and supervision of the systematic, regular, and measured by a team of developers SBI established the Office of Secondary Education and Higher Jakarta. It can be seen from the growing awareness of the importance to continue to learn and reflect (reflective teaching and learning) and the development of knowledge and awareness of the democratic and multicultural education, as evidenced when they serve students with the ability, speed, and a variety of interests. Teachers in the SBI to understand the meaning of the concept of deep-learning, higher order thinking skills, and contextual learning for students to know and the more limited, and benefit from learning Rote learning, which is used in ordinary schools. Meanwhile, the progress shown by the students on the attitude seems to independence, responsibility, ability to work together, honesty, tolerance, and Risk Taking.

Results of gaining students in the IGCSE exam in the first three years (2005-2007) is quite delightful. As is known, the Cambridge A Level program is a golden standard of its Cambridge International Examination (CIE), which is recognized certificate for a number of ivy League foreign universities, such as the University of Cambridge, Oxford University, Harvard University, MIT, and Stanford University. Pros from other programs is the learning IGCSE Cambridge assessment and more emphasis on problem-solving ability, to foster creative thinking, and autentik (contextual learning), the material seem a little more difficult. In the IGCSE, almost all of the selected subjects (math, english as a second language, physics, chemistry, and biology), the achievement of students is to give hope, as shown in the graph comparing the results of IGCSE 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 below.



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Even for mathematics, the average high school students of Jakarta, which have value (CA) percentage is higher than the student participants over 140 countries Cambridge IGCSE syllabus in the world. Results IGCSE and A Level the period 2005-2007 is enough to give students an overview that middle-school students are also able to show our international performance, although they must be issued without a budget is very large as the Olympics of Science and Mathematics.

As far as the development of the SBI can be used as indicators of the interest and desire of management education in schools and madrasah for innovation and improving the quality of education. Curiosity and courage to try to begin to grow with the positive and delightful. However, a slightly worrying from our findings in several areas, was the speed in the schools to make changes (to adopt syllabus learning and assessment foreigners) are still not balanced with efforts to systematically strengthen and improve the quality of resources, personnel (principals, teachers, and management), build a system of accountability and control over all the academic activities and financial administration of schools. As a result, the growth of the SBI so quickly that even cause problems, kontraproduksi, and loss of direction (a sense of direction). With the loss of the message changes, which changes from the previous tecermin the school management to become more transparent, accountable and participatory, the program is suspected of SBI will only bring a new emergency on the community. Low quality of the management of SBI recognized Surya Dharma PhD, Director of the Ministry of Education staff. 260 school heads from the SBI, given the English language ability test, TOEIC, according to Surya Dharma, only 10% have adequate ability, while the remainder, only 90% of their ability score reached 245, meaning that is still below the basic level (Elementary). Other data, the results of IELTS test, which will be projected teacher can teach in class stub international situation is similar. From about 40 participants, less than 20% are able to obtain IELTS score between 4,0-4,5, while the rest only a score between 2,5-3,7. Even a teacher allowed to teach international program must have a minimum score of 6.5 on IELTS (or a score of 550 on the TOEFL). The results of an assessment of competency and academic ability of teachers pedagogical instructor shows the situation is almost the same, unfortunate.

On the basis of that, the Ministry of Education is expected to be little to keep and control the growth of schools SBI. The Ministry of Education should dare to begin reflection on the concept and implementation of SBI so far. The Ministry of Education (directorate-level central directorate builder, the center of curriculum, assessment center, and offices of education) must be able to sit together to formulate policies on the back of SBI with better and more measurable. The Ministry of Education must be prepared Roadmap SBI, revisited curriculum framework, reviewing standards, assessment and evaluation program used for this. So that the results of the study can be more optimal result, the Ministry of Education should also involve schools joined in the national plus school (NSP) and other educational institutions that have been experienced and successful in managing international education programs (international Credentials). The Ministry of Education should try to release the attitudes have (possessive) over the ability to grow and start working together (Collaborative works) with institutions / individuals outside the government (non-state agencies) that might be seen during this very critical of some government policies.

Efforts to improve the quality of education must be supported by development of teachers, principals, and management (capacity building), which conducted a systematic, measurable, and sustainable development by involving all stakeholders in education. Understanding the importance of development resources, personnel (SDK) in a sustainable it must put in every manager and implementing education policies and central regions. In addition, the function and role of school principals should always be more diefektifkan mainly related to the management of learning (AND management) and monitoring and evaluation (monitoring and evaluation). Head of school should be a model and source of inspiration for teachers, students, and other management schools. Furthermore, the head of the school with other education stakeholders should be able to build and develop a shared vision of the school and developed together, too. Any changes will bring new challenges and expectations. However, as mentioned by Hoffer at the beginning of this writing, only for those who can afford to maintain and nourish motivasinya to continue learning (Learner), which will be able to inherit and control the future of the planet that is always changing.



Syamsir by Nature, The Education Foundation Sukma
Source www.media-indonesia.com