Several programs which are working in the Basic Education sector gathered in Bali in February 2006. The workshop, which was conducted by the Directorate of Primary and Kindergarten Education, was intended to coordinate the work of the programs. The Director General of Primary and Secondary Education, Bpk Suyanto, (pictured no. 1 with Bpk Husaini Wardi) was present together with the Director of Primary and Kindergarten Education, Bpk Mujito.

The workshop was sponsored by MBE and CLCC. The photo no. 2 shows some of the members of the workshop. For the three days before the workshop MBE, CLCC (UNESCO-UNICEF), IAPBE (AusAID) and DBE (USAID) met at the same location to work on a fourth training package for schools and communities.

The contents of the package include reviewing school development plans to make them more practical and developing the role of teachers' working groups (KKG and MGMP) to support teachers professional development.

Telling Our Story (TOS)

Mrs. Virginia Foley from USAID Washington, accompanied by Jill Gulliksen (USAID), Lynne Hill, Abdurrahman Asari and Furaidah (MBE) visited Batu in order to interview Ibu Mistin, the head of the Education Office, and get information about the MBE program which has been taking place in Batu. This information will be included on the USAID TOS site.

During her visit Mrs. Foley was able to observe some teacher training and visit MI Bustanul Ulum.

Timika (28/1/2006) - Managing Basic Education Program (MBE) and USAID received an invitation to an education workshop organized by the Mimika District Government, the Community Empowerment Institute for Amungme & Komoro (LPMAK) and PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI).

The MBE team included representatives from district governments in Central Java (Pati, Blitar, Kebumen, and Banyumas) and East Java (Probolinggo, Batu, Pacitan, and Madiun) as well as the East Java Provincial Coordinator and Jakarta consultants.

The aim of the education workshop was

1) for MBE and persons concerned with education in Mimika to see together at first hand conditions in education in Mimika and to identify problems which are occurring;

2) make recommendations to local government based on participatory discussions between the education office, PTFI, foundations concerned with education and representatives of MBE.

In his greeting the Bupati of Timika (represented by the District Secretary of Mimika, Drs. Wilhelmus Haurissa pictured on the right) hoped that the activities which to be discussed on that day would be the first step of many to raise the quality of education in the district, so that Mimika district would be equal with other parts of Indonesia.

At the end of the workshop, in the name of the Bupati, the District Secretary gave MBE a letter expressing interest in working together to improve management and raise the quality of Basic Education in Mimika.