Great Schools in Probolinggo!

One of the activities which everyone enjoyed was the visit to MBE and CLCC schools in Probolinggo and Pasuruan. The participants were able to go into classes and talked to the teachers and students.

1. Mrs. Iit from the Nganjuk Local Development Agency together with grade 2 students from SD Kedungdalam 2 in Probolinggo.

2. Students helping in class: Ibu Ira, who is currently studying to become a teacher at the branch of the Open University in the village of Betek, helping the grade 1 teacher at SD Krucil 2, Probolinggo. The children were doing thematic lessons and writing about 'my house'. The classroom displays included work from previous themes.

3. The Role of the Head of the Sub-District Education Office: Many of the schools in Krucil sub-district are showing amazing progress, much of this as a result of the leadership of the Head of the Sub-District Education Office, Bpk Ngadirin. He goes around the schools every week to see what is going on and to encourage them. He was a speaker at the Review and Planning Meeting.

4. Village children excel: SD Bremi 1 is situated in a rural area on the side of a mountain. The MBE guests who visited the school thought that the writing displayed outside one of the classes belonged to a grade 6 child. They were amazed when they looked at it closely. It was written by a girl in grade 1, Fitri, who is pictured together with the school principal, Bpk Suharto, pointing to her writing, which you can also see under the picture. (Photo 4a)

5. Drama in class: In grade 6 at SD Betek 1 the children had written and were acting out a drama about the struggle for Indonesian independence.

6. Children are allowed to criticize the teacher: In grade 5 at SD Bremi 1, which together with grade 6 is situated in a former house about 500m from the main part of the school, there is a wonderful classroom atmosphere. Among other things that children have been given the opportunity to give feedback about their lessons to the teacher. The children's writing is very much to the point, but the teacher, Bpk M. Wahyudi, accepts it very gracefully.

He is (picture 6) together with Citra on the left and Qiyal on the right of the picture. Qiyal's criticism was as follows (picture 6a): 'To Pak Yudi: It's best if when we're doing a presentation all groups get to read their work out & they should come to the front of the class, so that we can ask them questions. Pak, you aren't as keen as you used to be! Things used to be better! Please take note!'

7. The teacher is told to write: In grade 5 in SD Betek 1 the children are asked every week by the teacher, Ibu Lisadah, to write as many sentences as they can about an object, to make as many questions as they can and to write a description of the object. One child wrote 35 sentences about a bag she was observing. Ibu Lisadah told us that she was challenged by the students are to join in writing sentences as well.

8. Lots of teaching aids: The commitment of the teachers is visible in all the classes. In grade 2 at SD Betek 1, Ibu Misri, the religion teacher, who also teaches grade 2, has made a lot of teaching aids.

9. Presents from Aceh: The grade 6 teacher in SD Betek 1, Mrs. Like, who is also an MBE facilitator, showing materials that she has brought from Banda Aceh, when she was training teachers there.