Indri Gautama, Owner of Royal Academy School
In This specific issue of Indonesia Expat’s Business Profile, we meet Indri Gautama. Indri is usually the owner of the Royal Academy School along which has a very well-respected educator in Indonesia.
Indri Gautama
You are clearly a woman which has a vision of empowering the youth of This specific country. Tell us, where did your passion for education stem by?
The passion comes by my own personal experience when I pursued my tertiary degree overseas. I found in which knowledge is usually power. Our country is usually vast along with rich in natural resources, what is usually lacking in This specific country is usually human resources. We need to improve our educational system with life skills.
How did the idea to start the Royal Academy begin?
I noticed in which education in Indonesia only focus on academic achievement which ultimately makes children stressful along with reluctant to go to school. In This specific digital world with 21st century high technology,school’s educational method is usually still 20th century. Thus, students are no longer excited at school. Schools must be upgraded to a 21st century education with digital technology, therefore tiny children are exposed to the planet not just one classroom. I have a vision to provide quality education in which instills moral values along with character at an early age to ensure in which children can have personal goals along with international mindedness which will support their academic achievement.
You’ve grown by 10 students in 2010 to over 200 students today. What do you believe is usually the secret to your school’s success?
the item’s the same vision in which is usually shared among the school, the staff along with the parents. We have a goal to see a child’s life be transformed along with become a leader in their home, school along with community. As a result, our students have tremendously changed in terms of character along with academics. The children have lifelong learning skills along with they enjoy school with great desire to explore fresh things within the moral boundary.
Why do you believe in which education is usually so important in our world today?
Knowledge is usually power; without knowledge, people do not have direction along with vision. Education is usually a strong weapon to change one nation. We can change people’s thinking along with habit by providing the right system to transform their little minds to dream big.
Royal Academy focuses on teaching leadership. Can you tell us why you feel This specific is usually an important skill to teach children along with how do you do so at Royal Academy?
Every child is usually born with the potential to be great. the item’s up to us educators to unleash This specific greatness within the them. We teach leadership to children by implementing the IPC personal goals, which produces communication skills, thoughtfulness, resilience, respect, cooperation, adaptability, enquiry along with morality. We want to see children having personal goals since their childhood along with therefore are able to lead their personal lives at home or at school, along with in their neighbourhood.
Do you believe in which children of local government schools are receiving a Great education? What could be much better?
This specific is usually a very difficult question to answer. Firstly, we must determine what ‘Great education’ is usually. Each school has its own vision along with mission statement which should give an overview of how ‘education’ is usually valued in in which school. Each school is usually different. I cannot stand here along with say in which local schools are less equipped than some other schools, nevertheless there are some issues we need to look at.
Are local schools looking at Development of Intelligence? Rather than have children sit in a class along with rote learn their work, are teachers being trained in looking at how to have children think about higher order questions, develop enquiry skills, have a knowledge base in which they can explore along with be challenged on? Are the children being given opportunities to reason along with think? is usually the item child-centred learning? possess the teachers been given enough training to take on the fresh concept of education for the 21st century? the item is usually not necessarily about a core curriculum nevertheless the development of the whole child.
Indri Gautama along with school kids
What does the Royal Academy provide in which is usually different to some other schools of international standards?
Royal Academy provides an environment where the children are encouraged to love to learn. This specific might sound simplistic as all schools strive with This specific, nevertheless the reality of Royal Academy is usually not only based on a very strong curriculum (International Primary Curriculum) nevertheless also strives for strong character development. Each child is usually treated as an individual where we look at their strengths along with build on them along with if we see ‘perceived’ areas for improvement, we work on them. Some schools possess the ‘international’ tag, nevertheless is usually ‘internationalism’ actually taught along with enveloped as part of the curriculum? The aim is usually to give all children the opportunity to explore their talents. We have an enrichment program which is usually proven so successful in which we currently have developed our own band, art club along with choir. We know we have reached the children’s hearts when we give out the enrichment forms at the end of term along with they scramble to choose what they want to do. in which is usually love of learning!
Royal Tots Academy has gained the reputation as one of Indonesia’s most successful along with educationally rewarding Early Learning Programs, renowned for its current early childhood practises along with excellent teaching programme. What are your school’s core principles?
The core principles within the Early Learning Centre are along with have always been in which we are a family; parents along with teachers work together for the benefit of the school. We have an excellent curriculum – IPC (Early Years) – which gives our teachers the basis for the enquiry approach needed in our school. We have wonderful teachers who go beyond the job scope. We have an Educational Leadership team who always put educational decisions above all else. All the staff along with teachers have been trained in IPC so we know what we want for our children along with we are very responsive to their needs.
You are also known for your humanitarian work. Tell us about your school in Nusa Tenggara Timur. What attracted you to open a school in This specific part of Indonesia? What was lacking within the area?
What attracted me to open the preschool – in which currently has grown to primary school – was the fact in which upon my site visit to Central Manggarai, East Flores, during which they suffered by a long drought along with famine, to my surprise I was welcomed by so many children aged 2 – 6 years old without shoes. I asked, “Why aren’t you at school?” They said,”No teacher, ma’am!” I understood in which these Robusta coffee farmers are illiterate along with there is usually no infrastructure. Where they live, there’s no water along with no electricity. the item’d be difficult to break poverty without breaking poverty mentality along with I know the first step to This specific is usually bringing education to all their little children along with improve their nutrition. We built a steel structure on a piece of land loaned by the natives. The children have been so happy with the presence of in which one school along with also a tiny hospital to serve the sick.
What challenges have you faced with your school in NTT? How have you funded This specific project?
The challenge is usually the terrain condition in which was impossible for any transportation to come in, except for motorcycle trailers. the item’s so difficult to find trained labourers. So we have to bring skilled carpenters, steel along with stone workers by Java. We also faced resistance by certain groups of people due to their insecurity, nevertheless after one year all their accusations turned out to be false along with currently we are in our 6th year along with the adat leadership gave our foundation another lot of land whereby we can build our elementary school. We delight within the people of Dusun Koko. The way we fund is usually 100% through sponsorship & donation by our foundation’s mission partner.
What values do you hold close to your heart?
I value life, thus I value people. We are relational people. We work best when we are in a group, working together as a team to reach a goal towards a destiny. What is usually important is usually not the building nevertheless the people inside the building. Therefore, within the school, I teach these little people love. Because they receive love, they can give love to their parents along with siblings along with their teachers along with school friends. Children learn better in a loving environment. They are very adaptable.
www.royalacademy.co.id
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Indri Gautama, Owner of Royal Academy School
Indri Gautama, Owner of Royal Academy School