International Schools in Limbo as Talks on completely new Rules Stall
Back in November last year, Tim Carr, the Head of School at Jakarta International School (JIS), joined principals coming from the capital’s some other storied institutions to preview completely new regulations which might extend government control of their schools.
In 2010 the Indonesian government had passed sweeping completely new modifications for international schools which accepted Indonesian students. however despite almost three years of talks to hash out how those laws might be enacted, some principals saw little progress in addition to also still find themselves in limbo.
“the idea didn’t look encouraging,” Carr said, recalling the meeting. “We are in This kind of unknown territory which’s hard to navigate.”
As the capital’s international schools settle into a completely new school year, few administrators are any wiser of how the 2010 law will be applied to them. Under the completely new law, Indonesian language, religious in addition to also civic education might be compulsory, as might national exams for Indonesians. which means no more letters coming from the ministry excusing Indonesian students coming from the tests. What’s more, international schools might need to meet quotas of locally hired teachers in addition to also administrators with advanced degrees – a big ask in a country where only 20 percent of high school graduates go on to university.
At stake for the international schools are big chunks of the student body which are made up of Indonesians – 14 percent inside the case of JIS in addition to also 18 percent at the Australian International School (AIS). Henri Bemelmans, principal at Academic Colleges Group (ACG) International School in Indonesia, says 17 percent of his students are Indonesian.
“Excusing Indonesian students coming from their daily routine to comply with the completely new curriculum may be impractical”, Bemelmans says. “How might you teach religion in addition to also civics in a secular school? We already have a busy curriculum.”
The completely new law might curb English as the medium of instruction in addition to also require international schools to form affiliations with institutions abroad.
“They want to be able to regulate us in addition to also we want to fit into which”, says Brenton Hall, who in April became principal at AIS after having headed up its high school since 2007.
“We’re set up to meet the needs of foreign students in addition to also Indonesians which may be destined for universities overseas.”
For today, though, after years of talks, the push to apply the completely new law to the established international schools appears to have stalled. The original deadline to implement the completely new rules was This kind of year. Any modifications in store for international schools may today need to wait until after the legislative in addition to also presidential elections next year, leaving institutions to take a wait-in addition to also-see approach.
“There’s no guideline for how the law will be implemented”, Bemelmans says.
Still, which ambiguity may mark progress coming from the mood four years ago, when the proposed law was first presented to administrators “as a sort of fait-accompli”, remembers Bemelmans. “We were a little shaken up which modifications appeared imminent.”
The lull occurred in part because the proposed modifications ran up against opposition at home. The proposed regulations might mean wealthy local families might have trouble sending their kids to the capital’s international schools, which regularly send students to the earth’s top universities. What’s more, cramping the style of Indonesia’s international schools risks deterring foreign investment if companies can’t be sure which executives can secure quality education for their children.
Officials inside the foreign ministry, in addition to also those charged with attracting foreign direct investment to Indonesia, said they opposed rushing through the modifications.
“Changing, too much, the international schools might be a worry for foreigners here”, said one official coming from the Investment Coordination Board of Indonesia, who did not want to be identified.
A few months after halting admission of completely new Indonesian students in August 2010, JIS admitted them again. AIS is actually inside the process of building completely new facilities with the aim of dramatically expanding its student body.
“You can’t let the ambiguity affect your planning,” Hall says.
Even so, negotiations have been fraught with setbacks. Opposite numbers at the Ministry of Education might be reassigned in addition to also months of careful talks might be lost.
“Talks over a period of months might seem to indicate which we were at the cusp of brokering a clause which might allow us to operate in addition to also then there might be a change of personnel”, Carr says. “completely new regulations can come at any time.”
For Carr, removing Indonesian students might not only be a massive blow to revenue, which relies entirely on tuition; the idea deprives foreign students of the full experience of being at school in Jakarta.
“Without them we might be in a bubble. We are inside the middle of an economy which is actually red hot in addition to also dynamic. We need to include Indonesians in our mix in order to learn coming from one in addition to also some other”, Carr says.
The schools are counting on dialogue in addition to also goodwill between themselves in addition to also the government to manage any big regulatory modifications which may be inside the pipeline. in addition to also there will be modifications. which’s because the Indonesian government is actually worried about the proliferation of schools which claim to be “international” however are not in practice.
“There’s Great intent in what the government is actually trying to do”, Bemelmans says. “The ministry is actually trying to interpret the law in ways which might help us.”
Even so, a surge in nationalism may also be playing a part, as the government struggles to stem the tide of students wriggling free of hours of religious in addition to also civic studies each week, which may cut little ice when the idea comes to applying to overseas universities. The ministry still routinely issues letters of permission to Indonesian students to attend international schools for a fee of about Rp.50,000.
International schools such as JIS, the AIS in addition to also ACG are categorized as Joint International Education Institutions, which accept Indonesian students. They contrast with diplomatic schools, which tend to be run by embassies in addition to also are exclusively for foreign nationals.
School administrators emphasize they are keen to reach an agreement which will satisfy the government.
AIS’s Hall believes there’s room for a deal which may incorporate the parts of the proposed Indonesian curriculum. He proposes a third category of schools set up before 2003 which are effectively grandfathered into the old rules in exchange for offering language in addition to also civics classes.
“This kind of is actually their country in addition to also they contain the right to regulate us as they see fit”, Hall says. “We want to work in conjunction with the ministry officials.”
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International Schools in Limbo as Talks on completely new Rules Stall
International Schools in Limbo as Talks on completely new Rules Stall