Spreading the MBE Program: In Kabupaten Purworejo district MBE has already been disseminated to 71 schools. In most cases schools have used their own of funding for this. Twenty two primary and junior secondary schools used funding from the district budget, which was allocated for the replication of the MBE program.

The district government allocated funds for replication in two subdistricts, Purworejo and Loano. Activities included SBM, Community Participation and PAKEM training. Schools were also invited to visit MBE program partner schools in Kutoarjo and Butuh subdistricts.

The district review meeting recommended allocating funds from the district budget to support the spread of the MBE program right through to 2009.

BANYUMAS: Teaching in Ambang as the Project Nears it End

What comments do teachers from the partner schools make, when asked about their impressions of MBE? They are very grateful for what MBE has given them. The training they have received is really useful. They feel this even more with the introduction by the government of the new curriculum, which requires teachers to use PAKEM. The teachers in the MBE schools are already familiar with PAKEM teaching methods.

The students are the same. They are already used to having group discussions with their friends and to being actively involved in lessons. The schools hope that local government can continue this program by continuing to hold training. The teachers in the MBE partner schools still feel that they need more training to support their development.

SEMARANG: Community Participation Increasing in the SMP

At the present time when free schooling has become an important issue, many schools complain that financial contributions from the community have fallen dramatically. But this has not happened at SMPN 1 Amberawa. The level of community participation in this school is very high. As an indication of this, the community has provided both a Language and a Computer Laboratory.

Besides this, several months ago the community made contributions in order to buy +360m2 of land in order to expand the school. As planned, the land is being used to build Social Studies and Mathematics Rooms/Laboratories. Laboratories such as this are rare in Semarang district.

Above right: Bpk Antonius Soeprapto, the School Principal, in front of the Social Studies and Mathematics Laboratories, which are 90% complete.

Top: Bpk Somojo, SPd, Head of Primary Education (standing in the brown suit) having discussions with the MBE facilitators from Purbalingga during preparations for PAKEM 3 training. Above: The Head of the Purbalingga District Education Office, Bpk Drs Suyitno (in the black suit and hat) accompanied by Bpk Somojo, SPd having discussions with the group of participants in the PAKEM 3 training in Karanganyar subdistrict. Below: Bpk Drs Suyitno having a lively discussion about scanning the curriculum with the participants in the PAKEM 3 training in Purbalingga district. He is accompanied by Drs M. Nurhadi, MM., the Head of the Subdistrict Education Office. Although he only took part in the training for one day in each of the MBE partner subdistricts, his participation in the PAKEM 3 training served to motivate the participants. This was evident when, at the end of the session, many participants suggested that the facilitators should follow up the PAKEM 3 training by giving mentoring to teachers in class in order to improve their teaching.

BANYUMAS: SMPN 3 Ajibarang Excels in Competition

SMPN 3 Ajibarang, one of the MBE partner schools in Ajibarang sub-district represented Ban-yumas district in an Education Excellence Competition at provincial level on 15 December 2006. Previously the school had qualified from the district level competition based on several positive indicators in the school, including: the seating arrangement of the students is varied; there are display boards in the classrooms and there are wall magazines displayed around the school.

PAKEM teaching which is being implemented in the school was the main focus of attention of the competition jury. This is all a result of MBE interventions, which are being applied consistently by the teachers and other schools stakeholders.

(Oleh Ngatminah, S.Pd, Guru SMPN 3 Ajibarang, Fasilitator Bahasa Indonesia SMP, Kabupaten Banyumas)