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Stories from the Districts...
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SEMARANG: School in the Rubber Plantation
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SD Wonorejo 2 in Pringapus sub-district, Semarang is situated in a rubber plantation and a long way from the town, but it has made good progress under the leadership of the school principal, Ibu Sri Dati. When an MBE team visited the school a number of other schools from Semarang were also visiting to find out what was going on at the school.
During the visit children from two classes were learning science in the school garden. Grade 1, with the teacher, Ibu Sriyati, were doing an experiment to discover which objects floats and sink (photo 1), while grade 6 with their teacher, Bpk Suroso were making traffic lights which could light up (photo 2).
This activity was applying technology - in this case electricity - and more of these sorts of activities need to be done in primary and junior secondary schools so that the children can apply the science they learn. The children's work was displayed both inside and outside the classes. In photo 3 Ibu Sri Dati with students from grade 6 is showing writing about the children's experiences, which is displayed outside the classroom.
Increasing Community Participation
After the training in SBM and Community Participation, communities in Semarang are starting to think in a different way. Several school committees have already started to change. In addition Parents Class Groups have been formed and are starting to support the teaching processes by taking turns at being present in class. Communities are paying more attention to schools in other ways.
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The school committee and parents group have already carried out a number of plans including building an outside classroom (photo above). As well as this, the village head of Mlilir has shown his concern by issuing an instruction to the local population to set aside a homework time every day for the children and has supported SD Mlilir 2 as an MBE school. He conveyed his instructions through local neighborhood committees.
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Improving Performance with MBE
Starting with a vision of being devout, educated and cultured, SD Wonoyoso has been trying to improve itself and increase performance by using PAKEM teaching approaches. Before the school joined the MBE program teaching was still conventional and didn't use the environment as a teaching resource.
What the students received was an illusion and the students quickly forgot what they learned. With PAKEM the teachers are more creative in developing lessons, such as the grade 4 teacher, Pak Dwi Widodo, when the children were learning measurement.
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Musyafak dan Jatmiko, siswa SD Wonoyoso semangat belajar ber-PAKEM
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The children were measuring objects around the classroom and then drawing them to scale. As well as developing PAKEM SD Wonoyoso has also been developing community participation from year to year.
They have been involved in developing the infrastructure, including building a biology laboratory, a library, providing musical instruments and an audio-visual room.
In the area of management, under the leadership of Bpk Kusmanto, SD Wonoyoso has already made and started to implement the program set out in its school development plan.
The school has had many achievements both in academic and non academic fields. This has all been achieved because of the support of education stakeholders and a high level of motivation from the teachers, school principal, community and MBE.
The school's motto is GO FORWARD WITH MBE AND WITH SBM WE CAN FEND FOR OURSELVES.
By Kusmanto, School Principal of SD Wonoyoso, Pringapus Sub-District, Semarang (photo above)
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1½ Hours Walk to School Crossing The River
For many children from SD Wonorejo 2 (see above), if they want to continue to junior secondary school, they have to walk a long way. Lukman Sutanto, a grade 9C student at SMP Pringapus 1 has to walk over 7km to school through a rubber plantation.
The journey takes 1½ hours and he has to take his shoes off to cross a river. Lukman is indeed a hero of education. Good learning!
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