PEMBELAJARAN KINI

Bike library promotes literacy, cultural awareness

2009-04-10T11:28:00.000+07:00

Pembelajaran Kini-Access to affordable education is a scarce commodity in the developing world. As a Canadian living in Indonesia, I have been frequently confronted with this social inequity as my school is surrounded by shantytowns whose many inhabitants cannot afford to send their children to school. I fully recognize that money for food and shelter must come before a child’s tuition for families living at the fringe. Sadly, the absence of education for these children contributes to an even greater tragedy; the loss of their cultural identity and ultimately, maybe their humanity. I am not one to just theorize about change and let things passively be because I realize that provisions need to be made by those who enjoy greater opportunities for those who do not. I have therefore undertaken to participatein a project to promote literacy and cultural awareness among the impoverished children living around my school.

Our project is called “Books by Bike”. Our mission was Bike library promotes literacy, cultural awareness crafted to address not only the need of every child to have access to an education but also the specific issue of these impoverished children losing touch with their own heritage. My contributions in this endeavor included producing storybooks –with illustrations as a visual aid – that espoused indigenous themes, and helping with the design and fabrication of a bicycle library that can reach the most inaccessible villages. I wrote and illustrated much of the material in the fi nal fi ve storybooks: 1,250 printed copies are currently in circulation.

This was a strenuous undertaking, but I was motivated by knowing that my efforts would not only entice many needy children to read but also teach them a little bit about their own culture. Now, every Wednesday I look forward to seeing our bicycle library making the rounds and the happy faces of the children reading the books I have written. This experience has taught me that one must sometimes employ creativity and imagination to solve our world’s social problems. I have realized that equality hasn’t been established by my efforts, but I have at least taken my fi rst step in trying to remedy it.

This issue is more important to me than just another “extracurricular activity”. My mother is Indonesian which makes me half Indonesian. I can already see my culture starting to disintegrate, as the ongoing global discord between the East and the West have created a rancorous void and disjointed many segments of humanity. I see this project as an act of engagement which can have both direct and positive ramifi cations on those living in my community and the world. If we the privileged continue to neglect or ignore the impoverished, we will have nobody to blame but ourselves when these poor children grow up to be radicalized, hateful or dehumanized.

I can happily report Books by Bike won second place in the 2007/2008 UNESCO Mondialogo School Contest, a global competition promoting respect for people of different cultures, religions and languages. This year 2,740 high school teams from 144 countries entered the competition.

The writer is a grade 12 student in British international school

Do young kids lack reading culture?

2009-03-15T06:56:00.000+07:00

Evaries Rosita , Contributor

Pembelajaran Kini-If most kids today don't like reading, culture is often blamed as if it were the sole causal factor contributing to the lack of interest in reading among them. Our culture, it is often said, is a culture that does not encourage people to read. It is an oral culture, not reading culture, as is generally known.

This generalization, however, is not entirely correct. In fact, it is quite hard to see the correlation of cultural aspects and one's interest in literacy.

Young kids are basically avid readers. They like reading, and in fact, much of their time reading. Many bookstores are crowded with young kids reading books. Public libraries and community libraries are now popular and are on the rise, meeting young people's need for access to books.

Recent studies in literacy development have revealed that children and adults take advantage of access to books they find enjoyable and interesting. They spend time reading to entertain themselves and not just to meet academic assignments.

If young people have developed a love for reading, we teachers and parents need to support them in a variety of ways.

Helping them gain access to books both at school and at home is one way. Another way includes parents and teachers serving as models, which is a necessary stimulus for children's literacy development.

Thus, a commonly held belief that Indonesia does not have a reading culture is a myth. However, it makes more sense to relate the "literacy crisis" not in terms of culture, but rather in terms of the teaching of literacy at school, access to books and poverty.

The teaching of reading at school does not really help improve reading skills. I once carried out research at a senior high school in Jakarta. Using a questionnaire and interviews as my data collection, I explored problems related to reading comprehension. The findings indicated that overall students had little interest in reading. The reasons for this varied. Among them are not knowing how to read effectively, not understanding the text due to complex grammar and vocabulary, and having no interest in the topic.

The result of an interview with their teacher confirmed these findings. However, they were unable to offer practical clues in arousing students' passion for reading and to encourage them to become good readers.

This finding implies that we are neither supportive nor facilitative in helping young people acquire literacy skills in a second language.

Access to books has also become one of the most serious barriers for promoting literacy in the country. Children hailing from low-income families suffer the most from the lack of access to reading materials. This limitation undoubtedly impedes students' literacy development in a significant way.

No access to the print environment results in both child and adult illiteracy. If it is believed that access to more books can lead to language and literacy development, there is no best way to help stimulate young children to read but to provide them with a print-rich environment.

Thanks to the government's commitment to eradicating illiteracy in the country, the number of illiterate people is decreasing. However, what the government has yet to focus on is providing better access to public libraries in remote regions.

It is clear that it is access to rich a print-environment and effective teaching strategies that matter to language and literacy development. It is these factors that need our serious attention in helping young people accelerate their literacy skills both in their first and second languages.

The writer used to teach English to young learners. She can be reached at evariestj@.yahoo.com.

Better education accessible

2009-02-07T20:26:00.000+07:00

Rachel Davies , Contributor

Pembelajaran Kini-In a recent conversation with a good friend who has been a teacher for more than 20 years I was surprised to hear him talk very openly about the "education industry".

This was a surprise because I had always thought of him as somebody who had very high ideals for and about education. He trained as a teacher and gained a Master's degree in education and has had a really distinguished career in teaching: heading departments and rising to become a headmaster.

He has taught on no less than four continents and is now working in Indonesia and, it looks like, he is very much enjoying his time as part of what he sees as "a really vibrant and growing education industry in the country". I had always seen him as a person who saw education as a great gift and being a teacher as being a calling rather than just making money. He now though seems to have a slightly different perception.

He is seeing the spread of international curricula and teaching methods and practices and this is something that he calls "the globalization of education". I am not sure whether "globalization" and "education" really work well together for me as a positive expression. There are, in my mind, some concerns and misgivings about globalization but I think I understand the general gist of what he is suggesting.

Education has certainly become more international in its flavor within Jakarta and some other cities around Indonesia. The number of international schools seems to be growing at a stunning rate. Recent reports suggest that in 2008, the Ministry of Education granted licenses to more than 200 new school projects that would include international education.

What does this mean in the field? Well, there are concerns that there are too many people getting involved in schools and perhaps that figure of 200 new school licenses is a representation of that kind of problem. It is perhaps much too easy to grant licenses. It is far more difficult to actually be able to deliver international education.

But this does not mean that good things are not happening in international education in and for Indonesia. There may be some school projects that are neither well founded nor well managed but the truth of the matter is that they will and are being found out and they will fail and fall by the wayside.

What is far more useful is the way in which a more diverse and widespread approach to education is being created for Indonesia. This seems quite appropriate when we think of the Indonesian motto "Unity in Diversity". All of these successful international schools that are applying international curricula are all headed in the same direction of providing quality education and so there is a unity about them and what they are trying to do.

This does, however, leave room for that diversity and diverse approaches to education. International curricula and programs of study are being applied from Australia and the United Kingdom and other countries that have an international approach to education are also being represented in Indonesia. I recently heard of a new school that will be following a Canadian curriculum. We should though recognize that nations may be represented by these curricula but there is the key internationalism to what they are doing.

These international curricula often and quite consistently address international citizenship and promote a global awareness. This may well be what my friend is referring to when he speaks of "the globalization of education". This means that a truly international mind-set is being introduced and promoted through schools like this and this can only be a good thing.

Another very positive development from these kinds of schools is that they will help to develop a pool of human resources that will help education generally. Teachers that have to teach in these schools are using a very different curriculum and are learning to use different approaches to helping their students understand.

All of this means that Indonesia is getting a greater choice of what it can do educationally. The national system of education has had its critics but it is adapting and being influenced by what is happening internationally. This means that more Indonesians are getting access to a better education.

The writer is an education consultant in Sydney, Australia.

Students hold arts festival to celebrate difference, learn respect for other

2009-01-25T06:15:00.000+07:00

Pembelajaran Kini-Several students of Diponegoro School perform a recital with angklung (a traditional musical instrument) at an arts festival in Rawamangun, East Jakarta, to commemorate World Peace Day, which fell on Jan. 1.

The festival - One World, One Dream for Peace Through Culture - aims to raise awareness among the students that peace can be obtained through cultural exchange, tolerance and understanding.

Besides the angklung recital and a gamelan recital by students from Central Java, there was a showcase of traditional dances from different areas across the archipelago.

The Saman dance from Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, the Piring from Padang, West Sumatra, and the Rampak Gendang from West Java were among the dances performed by students at the two-hour event.

"Difference should not be a reason for war or conflict," Mazarina, a student, told The Jakarta Post.

"Instead people should learn from each other's views."

But, she said, the principles of tolerance was easier said than done.

"Even in my everyday life, I find it difficult to practise such a noble principle," she said.

"As humans, we all have our own emotions and sentiments.

"Personally, I find it hard to like Israel after what their military has done to Palestine," she said, referring to the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip.

"I know that not all Israelis are bad, but it is hard for me to like them after the attacks," she said.

Prior to the event, the students held a mass prayer for Palestinian victims. They also raised funds totaling Rp 50 million, to be donated to the victims through a humanitarian organization, Mer-C.

"Although my heart is with Palestine, I hope that both the Israeli and Palestinians leaders can put aside their differences," said another student. "After all, they were brothers and sisters for thousands of years before the land dispute of the 1960s."

Diponegoro School counselor Arief Rachman said the festival was held annually.

"Last year, we held a Wayang, or shadow puppet show, to commemorate World Peace Day," said Arief, who is known as an outspoken observer on education issues.

"Hopefully, the students will learn how to respect each other.

"The more we know about other cultures, the better we can understand and relate to each other." --- The Jakarta Post/hdt

Entrepreneurship workout develops student skills

2009-01-18T17:00:00.001+07:00

Pembelajaran Kini-CHATTING ON the sidelines of a job seminar at the University of Indonesia in early December,
Jobstreet Indonesia country manager Chris Antonius wanted to talk about the stiff competition
job seekers face in this country.

Chris said the number of unemployed in Indonesia today is around 9 million based on figures from the Manpower Ministry. But other institutions put the fi gure far higher, at 25million. It depends on the parameters, he added, how you count who you count.

The fact is, every job fair is packed with thousands of job seekers.

“Jobstreet can only provide 50,000 job vacancies each year,” Chris said, discussing his online recruitment company.

Since Indonesia has more than a plentiful supply of manpower, Chris said the country needs to create more demand by encouraging more investment in infrastructure, export, production and manufacturing in all industries.

The idea of encouraging investments is a good one under normal economic conditions. But in an economic crisis like we have today, promoting entrepreneurial skills becomes a realistic alternative.

A student waits for customers at his stall, selling items he thinks his schoolmates will snap up, from clocks to dolls. (YS/Kurniawan Hari)

Several schools have introduced entrepreneurship as a full-fledged subject and have organized activities in which students can develop their entrepreneurial know-how.

Nugrohodi, a chemistry teacher at Sugar Group School, a private high school in Lampung, South Sumatra, said students should be introduced to entrepreneurship as early as possible. “I think entrepreneurship is very important for the future of our students,” he wrote in an email to youthspeak.

Nugrohodi said his school combined two approaches to make students familiar with entrepreneurship.

First, business savvy and risk-taking is handled within the standard economics course. Second, the school also organizes a cross-cutting unit of study to supplement the regular courses.

“Our school has organized events to expose students to entrepreneurship in action. The students are given a chance to come up with a business idea, try it out, and present what they
got from it.”

This approach has also been applied at Citra Kasih School in West Jakarta. Interested students are asked to present their business plan. Then the school will put up the capital for the approved plans, so students can test out the business plans during Entrepreneurship Day.

During the annual event, students often devise retail ideas, selling toys or food. The buyers are their fellow students. Other students offer services, such as car washing or cafés with live music set up in the school yard.

At the end of the event, the student who has earned the most profit from his or her venture gets the chance to have lunch with award-winning business owner Ciputra, a patron of the school.

Awards aside, all the students have fun and learn something valuable on Entrepreneurship Day.

Chris said doing business required start-up capital and patience. He added that people should expect to work hard at developing their business for at least two years before setting a break-even goal for themselves.

All too often, he said, people start a business expecting to break even—make enough profits to cover their costs—within three to six months. “It just doesn’t happen that fast,” he said.

Business-building depends on persistence, something students can learn through entrepreneurship training.

Social leaders as entrepreneurs: Ashoka helps future leaders build their stairways of dreams

2009-01-08T19:22:00.000+07:00

Pembelajaran Kini-MARKETING, consumer appeal: These are real world phenomenon we experience everyday. Twenty young social leaders gathered to play a branding game, showing which advertisements and products they found most appealing.

Mayang, a high school student in Denpasar, opted for the bottled iced tea we know so well, Teh Botol Sosro. She said her choice showed she was a true Indonesian.

“No matter what product I need, I’ll always choose Indonesian-made ones,” Mayang said, which was greeted by applause from her fellow participants at the Young Change Makers Initiative workshop organized by Ashoka Indonesia. Other Social leaders as entrepreneurs: Young leaders work together on their stairway of dreams. Wasti Atmodjo participants each chose different brands to represent them, including Nike, VW and Sonny Ericsson.

Young leaders work together on their stairway of dreams. (YS/Wasti Atmodjo)

Ashoka Indonesia is a not-for-profit NGO which, among its many activities, organizes program to inspire young people to become entrepreneurs. They hold workshops in Bali, their home island, but they also take their show on the road, working with young people in four other Indonesian cities, Jambi, Mataram, Makassar and Medan. Participants, only 20 in each city, are young leaders—from junior high school through university—who either have set up a community center or have joined an existing one. They are chosen because social issues interest them, and because they demonstrate good communication skills and openmindedness.

After the branding game—an icebreaker which helped the participants get to know each other—they started in on a vision and planning exercise called “discover, dream, design, and
deliver”. The fi rst step was to hone in on the participants’ intuitive likes and dislikes. The young leaders were given newspapers and the task of choosing one news items that appealed most. Then they were asked to comment on what they had read and express what it meant to them.

Ashoka representative Oda Lionatam said this method is actually a general approach anyone
can use to gauge one’s interest in a field. Participants were then grouped according to their gender, age and their level of education. With friends of the same age and ability, participants could more easily identify and discuss issues, Oda added.

Next came the dreaming phase. Each group was asked to create a story, an inspirational one, and present it in the form of a poem, skit, or a song. The fi rst group came up with a children’s medley on the theme “Success of Advocacy”. The second group, no less lively than the first, presented a skit about a neighborhood community leader who, with a bit of start-up capital and great fi ghting spirit, created a successful pig-breeding enterprise.And finally, the third group presented a mini-opera titled “Reaching the Dream”, which presented how to cope with HIV and AIDS.

“We can see how much energy these folks have, they tap into their potential and present interesting performances in such a short time,” Oda said proudly.

After successfully working as a group, the participants were then encouraged to build a “stairway
of dreams” which helped them pull together mantras, identities, communication, and positive
change. Their efforts to create a strong vision were enhanced by watching the self-help film The Secret and listening to Louis Armstrong’s emblematic song of hope, “What a Wonderful World”.

Yoga, an activist with the Bali chapter of the Indonesian Environmental Society, Walhi, dreamed of an investor-free Bali. In his vision, the Balinese would remain the owners and managers of the resort island, not just observers in their own land, Yoga explained.

Identifying himself as a friend of nature, Kana, a junior high school student, came up with a
catchphrase: “Say no to plastic”. He wanted to share what he knows about plastic with his friends, so they’ll understand it is not environmentally friendly. He designed his message to offer them simple ways they can help, by exchanging plastic bags with those made of cloth or recycled materials.

Another participant, Dadap, dreamed of bringing village life and the IT world closer together. In his lingkar tekno desa (IT network of villages) he would equip villages with internet technology then link them together.

Eka Prahadian, the activity organizer, said the “stairway of dreams” was at the moment a
training tool. “Later we’ll implement these ideas with Ashoka’s support. We’re asking every participant to report on their progress so they can be in the panel selection,” Eka explained, adding that those “who pass the selection can then join the Global Young Change Makers community”, a forum where their ideas can be transformed into wider action.

Sats tests 'face delays in 2009'

2009-01-02T09:50:00.000+07:00

The league tables based on tests sat in 2008 remain unpublished

Pembelajaran Kini-There is a "significant" risk that pupils in England could face a repeat of the Sats test fiasco of the summer 2008, the exams watchdog has warned.

Edexcel has now been appointed to run the tests in 2009, after results were delayed following a series of blunders by the then operator ETS Europe.

But the exams watchdog, QCA, says the rush to appoint a new firm means there is no time to test the marking systems.

Education Secretary Ed Balls said he accepted the results may be late.

New contract

In 2008, hundreds of thousands of 11 and 14-year-olds were left waiting months for their marks from the exams.

An inquiry has been held into the delay, which also resulted in the postponement of league tables.

Lord Sutherland's inquiry blamed the exam watchdog - the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) - and ETS Europe, the private contractor which ran the tests.

ETS Europe was sacked from its five-year contract with the QCA in August.

Half of the Sats themselves - those taken by 14-year-olds - have been scrapped in a subsequent shake-up of testing.

We will do all we can to mitigate risk, but it is important that I re-emphasise that the risks in this process are high

Ken Boston, QCA chief executive

The former contractor, Edexcel, has been chosen to run next year's remaining tests for 11-year-olds, and it has agreed to deliver 99.9% of test results to candidates by 7 July 2009.

But the QCA chief executive Ken Boston - writing to Education Secretary Ed Balls before his suspension in mid-December - warned "whilst the supplier is committed to achieving it (the deadline), there is currently no guarantee that events will not cause them to miss it."

He stated the speed with which Edexcel had to be appointed meant the fine details of the contract will have to be worked out after it is agreed.

The risk of missing the deadline would, he said, "be at its greatest in the crucial and short period between the beginning of marking and the completion of results data".

Progress report

In a reply, Mr Balls said he understood Mr Boston's concerns.

"I understand your concerns that the overall risks to delivery remain high and that there is a cumulative risk the contractual target of 99.9% of results available, on or by 7, July may not be met," he wrote.

He urged the QCA to arrange for "effective contingencies" to be put in place, "thereby reducing the likelihood and impact of serious risks to delivery".

But Mr Boston's reply to that letter re-iterates his warning: "We will do all we can to mitigate risk, but it is important that I re-emphasise to you that the risks in this process are high.

"In the restricted time available to us it will not be possible to develop mitigations to the level that either you or I would wish.

"In particular during the crucial short period between the tests being sat, and the results being published on or by 7 July, the only meaningful contingency available is a delay in publishing the result."

The written exchanges between Mr Balls and Mr Boston feature on the QCA's website.

Mr Balls has asked the QCA to give him a progress report in January.

The managing director of Edexcel, Jerry Jarvis, said: "We understand that efficient results and quality of marking are very important to students, parents and teachers and have reassembled the team which successfully delivered the contract in 2005, 2006 and 2007."

Promise over learning allowances

2008-12-30T06:31:00.000+07:00

Learners are being promised payments will be backdated in full

Pembelajaran Kini-Students in England awaiting Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA) payments are being assured they should receive them in full within weeks.

The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) says thousands of EMA applications are still being processed as they come in.

It says the operation of the system under new contractor Capita means these can be handled comfortably within the three-week turnaround target time.

But an LSC director cast fresh doubt on figures presented to Parliament.

On 19 November Schools Minister Jim Knight said there were 12,016 applications "in the process of being finalised".

A few days later he had to say a full count of outstanding applications had revealed there were "around 26,000".

Entitlements

Mr Knight also wrote to the LSC's chief executive, Mark Haysom, to express his department's concern about the "work in progress" figures the LSC had been supplying ministers from its previous contractor, Liberata.

But now the LSC's director of young people's support programmes, Ian Pursglove, said of the 26,000: "I'm not sure of the exact provenance of that figure."

He told the BBC News website he assumed it had referred to what he called "work in progress" or what some described as the "backlog" of applications.

As applications for EMAs arrive they are processed and a "notice of entitlement" is issued.

A learner takes this notice to their college and that triggers the actual payments of £10, £20 or £30 a week, depending on family income.

Mr Pursglove said that as of 18 November there had indeed been 12,016 "work in progress" applications.

"We are processing enough that we have a three-week turnaround time built in," he said.

"Twelve thousand is comfortably within a week's work."

Confident

A spokesman for the LSC gave the total in receipt of EMA payments so far this year as 461,000.

What perhaps confuses the issue is that new applications can and do arrive throughout the academic year.

Mr Pursglove said: "We have an aim of 500,000 learners within this academic year and I am confident we will get that."

He said that if a learner had yet to hear from the LSC about their application they should contact the EMA helpline.

The helpline had been notorious for its inefficiency this autumn but now, he said, had improved considerably.

Payments would be backdated to include all those to which students' learning providers said they were entitled.

Another issue raised in e-mails to the BBC is that supporting financial documents people have sent in to support their EMA applications have not been returned.

Mr Pursglove said: "As part of the work Capita have done when they have taken over, what they have discovered is there has been an issue with the sending back of the original documents."

A dedicated team was now tackling this, he said.

Only in England was the handling of EMA applications contracted out to a private company. The system has worked elsewhere in the UK without the problems that have affected England.

Tend to our national treasure: Improve our education system

2008-12-27T21:12:00.000+07:00

By:Yanto Chandra

Pembelajaran Kini-There is growing public disenchantment with the education system in Indonesia. To sum up, parents are not getting bang for their bucks. Quality schools do exist but are reserved for the "haves". The title "Guru", in an Indonesian context, means a very different thing to the meanings of the title embraced by the rest of the world -- for someone who has achieved enlightenment in a particular discipline (e.g. Warren Buffet the investment guru and Stephen Hawking the physics guru).

Also, sadly, in Indonesia the remuneration available for gurus is not enough to support the true weight of their title. And there goes the blaming game.

This observation resonates with my recent chance encounter with a very bright first-year undergraduate student of one of the universities in the Netherlands who was previously a sophomore at one of Indonesia's best universities.

She expressed her admiration of the Dutch education system, saying it was tough and relied on student-centric learning. Her comments did not really strike me until after she admitted that what she had learned back at home was obsolete and "too easy".

I thought this could have been an outlier case, but soon realized it was more like the tip of an iceberg.

The problems seem to be system-wide, and any solutions must address the whole system head on. I welcome any feedback since I have been away from home for many years and may miss some points here.

First, by and large, Indonesians pay little respect to the profession of academics. This mindset needs to change. There needs to be a major policy shift with regard to academics as a "holy" profession.

Academics are well respected from Taipei and Beijing to Stockholm and Paris, and to Toronto and New York. Academics should be lauded as heroes of society, akin to fire-fighters or medical doctors.

Second, the carrots and sticks need to be used effectively. The system needs to entice the best graduates to take the academic plunge. This means assured high salaries and perks, clear career paths, opportunities for continuing education etc.

However, academics should not choose to be academics as a lifelong career path. This makes academics lazy and stops them from innovating. A tenure-track system, continuous assessment and the like are crucial ways to maintain quality.

In the world's top 50 universities there is a strong "publish-or-perish" culture. Faculty members are expected to carry out the highest quality research and publish their work in leading international journals, and as such they are not "teachers" but scholars or scientists in their respective fields. They gain respect and kudos in society, but are also held accountable for the taxpayers' money channeled to their research programs.

At primary to secondary school levels, academics' performance can be measured in several different ways, including in their ability to produce high performing students at international Olympiads or inter-school competitions; or from the number of their students' ideas that are published in magazines or newspapers; or whose students are accepted into prestigious schools/universities worldwide.

Third, the governance of schools needs to change. Schools and universities should be governed with greater accountability, transparency and professionalism. In this way, schools must be able to explain why they charge certain fees. Governance of schools at a grassroots level is also crucial.

Poor governance in the extant system has left gaps for private institutions to carve out large profits at the expense of citizens' basic right to reasonably priced quality education.

By comparison, in the Netherlands (and most Western European countries) taxes citizens must pay are returned to the citizens' families in the form of very affordable schooling and university fees.

Legal and illegal fees charged by Indonesian schools and universities are often more than those charged by institutions in Europe.

Fourth, a learning culture matters. Rote memorization should be banned. Secondary sources indicate that some still use this technique to teach subjects in both natural and social sciences in Indonesia. Good science starts with the ability to define a problem space. This method could end up creating graduates who are more like "zombies" -- easily replaced by machines or hard disks.

Open discussions, debates, field observations, composing one's own opinion on a topic, finding alternative (plausible) hypotheses or explanations -- all have greater efficacy.

Again, this requires the presence of academics who are well trained to think, teach and interact with disciples to think scientifically. As evident in history, great scholars/scientists tend to come from cultures that value free and independent thinking.

Here, most Asians may need to learn from their Western counterparts.

This means students are given a lot of freedom to formulate their own problem space; argue their solutions to problems; learn independently (but under guidance of qualified academics); offer alternative plausible solutions; learn to be critical of others/each others' scholarly work; and come up with novel ideas.

This culture may start at home and depends on the way parents bring up their children. It also means academics are given autonomy to improvise (like a Jazz saxophonist) in the classroom -- to tolerate mistakes, try new things and encourage their students to do well.

Fifth, the media needs to play a proactive role in educating the public, rather than satisfying audiences' thirst for slapstick shows (e.g. people eating frogs or human organs). The media can put more academics under the public spotlight with their inventions, ideas, experiences and dreams, to create celebrity academics. Academics can be fun and entertaining on TV or radio too! My former mathematics teacher was a born comedian and was my idol at 16.

The National Geographic Channel and Discovery Channel are good benchmarks.

Sixth, there is an increasing need for social entrepreneurs who care about Indonesia's education systems and can do something about them. Perhaps it makes more sense for parents to stop complaining and start taking part in discussions and actions. Create community-based schools. Create good systems nationwide.

In years to come, Indonesia's national security will depend on its people, when our natural resources have been diminished. Indonesia is a sleeping giant. Once it awakens, it shatters the world. But a change needs to take place: First in people's mindset and then to the system.

Nothing is impossible for Indonesia!?TjP

The writer is Assistant Professor, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Jobless offered skills training

2008-12-17T19:14:00.000+07:00

The government wants to make it easier for workers to finds jobs

Pembelajaran Kini-Millions are to be spent helping people in England who face redundancy find new jobs or develop new skills.

The government has earmarked £158m to pay for pre-employment training courses and to put more advisers in job centres to offer careers and training advice.

The money will also be used to help employers offer training to new recruits to develop extra skills.

It is hoped the measure will reduce the number of people out of work, as the jobless total reaches an 11-year high.

Figures for the three months to September show 1.82 million people were unemployed and as more companies cut jobs. This rate is set to rise sharply.

HAVE YOUR SAY

I have two jobs, a well-paid main job and a part time bar person. There is work out there, you just need to put the effort in and pro-actively look.

Stephen Trenery, Tamworth

Send us your comments

Skills Minister John Denham said: "Now more than ever, it is important that we do what we can to help people who have been recently made redundant or are worried about being unemployed.

"The measures will mean that many more people will have real help to find or stay in work.

"By increasing the advice on offer and improving access to training we will ensure that more is made of the £4.5bn the government already spends on skills.

"This will help make it more relevant to those that have been recently made or fear being made redundant."

But the Conservatives dismissed the measure as "too little too late".

Shadow work and pensions secretary Chris Grayling said: "The government has messed up our economy for years now, and sadly large numbers of people are going to pay the price.

"All it's doing is running up bigger debts that our children will have to pay off."

Lessons in being happy proposed

2008-12-08T15:46:00.000+07:00

Sir Jim was asked for a "root-and-branch" review of primary teachin

Pembelajaran Kini-Primary school pupils in England should be taught how to lead happy and healthy lives as part of a curriculum overhaul, says a government-commissioned report.

The report also says individual subjects should be replaced by six themed "areas of learning".

The report by former senior Ofsted inspector Sir Jim Rose suggests lessons should be more focused on preparing children for life outside school.

It also calls for more advanced technology lessons for some pupils.

Responsible citizens

Sir Jim was asked by the government to carry out a "root-and-branch" review of what is taught in primary schools.

His interim report, to be officially published later, says teaching children about emotional well-being and social skills should be a compulsory part of the curriculum.

It says that pupils should have the "personal, social and emotional qualities essential to their health, well-being and life as a responsible citizen in the 21st Century".

The report, which is seeking a more flexible approach to learning, emphasises the importance of play in children's development.

Good primary teaching deepens and widens children's understanding by firing their imagination and interest in learning

Sir Jim Rose

Send us your comments

As well as making more room for such lessons in well-being, computer skills and modern languages, the review also looks at how more space can be made within the timetable.

It suggests that there could be six broader "areas of learning", rather than up to 14 individual subjects, such as history, geography and science.

These six areas would be: understanding English, communication and languages; mathematical understanding; scientific and technological understanding; human, social and environmental understanding; understanding physical health and well-being; understanding the arts and design.

Sir Jim also argues that the primary curriculum needs to reflect changes in children's experiences and it should recognise that many young children have developed computer skills in their own homes.

Primary podcasts

He says the level of lessons in information, communication and technology (ICT) currently taught in secondary schools should now be taught to primary-age pupils.

Such technology skills should also be used in other lessons, recommends Sir Jim.

This could include using the internet for research, word-processing work and making podcasts.

Parents of our generation probably don't realise, for example, how fast children are picking up computer skills today

Children's Secretary Ed Balls

"Good primary teaching deepens and widens children's understanding by firing their imagination and interest in learning. One highly promising route to meeting the demand for in-depth teaching and learning is undoubtedly emerging through ICT," says Sir Jim.

"The primary curriculum needs to be forward-looking.

"Advances in technology and the internet revolution are driving a pace of change which we could not have imagined when the national curriculum was introduced 20 years ago."

Sir Jim's review also recommends that summer-born children should be able to begin school part-time if that is what their parents want - a detail already released over the weekend.

This is in response to concerns that children born in July and August can be disadvantaged by starting school before they are ready.

Children's Secretary Ed Balls said the report "gives us an insight into what changes we can make to improve the curriculum and move with the times".

He added: "Parents of our generation probably don't realise, for example, how fast children are picking up computer skills today.

"We need 21st Century schools which make the most of the opportunities technology offers our computer-savvy youngsters."

The final report of the review will be published in spring 2009, with any recommendations accepted by the government to be introduced from September 2011.

Christine Blower, acting general secretary of the National Union of Teachers said: "I think primary schools and Sir Jim Rose have to be a little bit careful about elevating ICT to the level of literacy, numeracy and personal health.

"In terms of helping to learn reading and writing skills, it can help, but they are not skills you can over-compensate for."

Part-time school starts supported

2008-12-08T15:44:00.000+07:00

Sir Jim said parents should be able to make an "informed choic

Pembelajaran Kini-Children in England born in July or August should be able to start school part time if their parents want them to, a government study will recommend.

Statistics have long suggested those born in August do less well in exams than those born the previous September.

But Sir Jim Rose's study will reject NUT suggestions that summer-born children should have a delayed start.

Instead, he will say all should start in the September after they turn four, but only part-time for the youngest.

'Elbowed out'

At present, children in England and Wales in many local authorities are expected to start school in the September after their fourth birthday.

However, some authorities delay school life for younger children until after Christmas, while others make use of part-time starts.

Sir Jim was asked to examine the issue by Children's Secretary Ed Balls following concerns about children born in the summer doing less well than their older classmates.

Teachers shouldn't mix up maturity with ability

Ed Balls
Childrens' Secretary

His interim report, to be published on Monday, will say it is better for children to start school as early as they can - so long as they have attended good nursery schools.

"Parents need to be given the facts so they can make an informed choice about when their child starts school because evidence suggests it can have a major impact on the rest of their life, particularly if they come from a disadvantaged background," Sir Jim said.

"But we also need to be sure that teachers are giving younger children the right support and are not letting them get elbowed out by older youngsters."

His report will suggest children could be eased into school life by attending only in the mornings or afternoon, for 15 hours a week, at first.

'Radical solution'

Mr Balls said he recognised parents' concerns about their children being taught alongside older pupils.

"Teachers shouldn't mix up maturity with ability," he said.

"I don't want a child wrongly held back as being low ability in primary school when it's their age that's the problem."

Christine Blower, the National Union of Teachers' acting general secretary, said a more radical solution would be to follow the example of Scotland and Wales and end national testing in English primaries.

"It is quite obvious that summer-born children lose a year in their education, but the current system treats all children as if they were all born in the autumn term," she said.

Govt mulls tribal school system's role in education

2008-12-06T04:34:00.000+07:00

Pembelajaran kini-The government is considering combining its existing education system with a more nature-oriented method currently being applied at the renowned informal school Sokola Rimba.

On Thursday, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono met with Sokola Rimba founder Butet Manurung and teachers from the school to discuss the matter.

"The President said the method adopted by Sokola Rimba should be applied at other schools as well. He also suggested the method be expanded and combined with the current education system," Butet said after the meeting at the presidential office.

Butet and her colleagues established Sokola Rimba in 2003, with the aim of teaching remote tribal people in Jambi province how to read, write and count.

The informal school now has branches in Aceh; Makassar in South Sulawesi; Flores and Bulukumba in East Nusa Tenggara; Garut in West Java; Yogyakarta; Klaten in Central Java, and Halmahera in North Maluku.

"We have a mission to broaden this kind of education method, and we hope more young people will volunteer as teachers in remote areas," Butet said.

National Education Minister Bambang Sudibyo said his office would evaluate the method in line with the principle of "education for all".

"The best method of learning is not always created by the government. If the method applied by Sokola Rimba proves effective, we will standardize it and provide more assistance for such informal schools," he said.

The minister added the current education system, which recognizes both formal and informal schools, did not yet reach everyone in the country, especially tribal people and others in remote areas.

During the meeting, the President offered Sokola Rimba a Rp 200 million grant.

Yudhoyono invited Butet and her colleagues after reading a recent article in the Kompas daily about the school, said presidential spokesman Andi Mallarangeng.

The article said Sokola Rimba was forced to close down two of its schools -- one on the Flores coast and the other in the forests of Halmahera -- because of financial constraints.

Butet said she was unaware of the article and was surprised the President had invited them and offered the grant.

"We thank the President for this... We will use the money to renovate our schools in Flores and Halmahera," she said.

The school will hold further discussions with the education ministry's Directorate General for Special School Service on any future collaboration, Butet added.

Education reforms set in train

2008-12-04T20:33:00.000+07:00

The measures give legal force to measures already announced

Pembelajaran kini-The Queen's Speech confirmed plans to create more apprenticeships, to increase local accountability and boost schools' powers to search pupils.

The measures set down for legislation in the next year contain few surprises as most had already been announced.

Local councils in England are to take over the funding and organisation of education for 16 to 19-year-olds.

And they will have a legal duty to intervene earlier in failing schools in a move to make every school a good one.

This follows the government's targeting of England's lowest-performing schools in the National Challenge programme.

On school standards, the Queen said the changes were aimed at "ensuring every school is a good school by reducing burdens on the best while strengthening the powers to intervene where schools require support".

Part of this involves good schools facing fewer Ofsted inspections but with the publication of statements on their progress between inspections.

'Revolutionising'

The Children Schools and Families Secretary, Ed Balls, said: "This Bill marks a significant step towards the vision set out in the Children's Plan to improve schools and training to deliver excellence for all.

"This Bill underlines our commitment to revolutionising the education system so that it delivers for all young people whatever their interests or abilities.

"Local authorities will play a key role in making this happen as they are best placed to respond to the needs of young people locally."

We have rescued and expanded apprenticeships

John Denham, Skills Secretary

Legislation has recently been passed to raise the age at which people in England can leave education and training from 16 to 17 in 2013 and to 18 in 2015.

Under measures confirmed in the Queen's Speech, local authorities will take over the funding and organisation of education for 16 to 19-year olds from the Learning and Skills Council, so will be responsible for making the age change happen.

They will be supported in this by a new national body, called the Young People's Learning Agency. The legal framework is also set out for widening entitlement to apprenticeships and for people to have the right to request time off for training.

Skills Secretary John Denham said: "The Bill will put apprenticeships on a legal footing for the first time. We have rescued and expanded apprenticeships.

"Ten years ago only 65,000 people started apprenticeships and today that number has nearly trebled to 183,000."

Behaviour

Efforts to improve the education of young offenders and those in pupil referral units - who have been excluded from mainstream schooling for misbehaviour - are also to be enshrined in law.

The education of young offenders is to be put under the general education umbrella and local authorities will have a duty to guarantee the quality of education available at young offenders institutions in their areas.

As expected, all secondary schools are to be made to work in local partnerships, with the aim of improving behaviour and tackling truancy.

Most schools already do this. Participation in such a body also involves a commitment to even-handedness in terms of expelling pupils - so that a school which permanently excluded pupils would be expected to take in students expelled by others.

The measure results from a review of behaviour in schools by Sir Alan Steer.

His call for schools to be given powers to search pupils for alcohol, illegal drugs and stolen goods - accepted by the government in July - is also to be given legal backing.

Other measures in the Children, Skills and Learning Bill - which applies only to England - include:

Ofqual given statutory footing to take over responsibility from QCA for maintaining standards and regulating the qualifications market
Confirmation that the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) is to be scrapped to make way for the Young People's Learning Agency, which will support local authorities to carry out their responsibilities for 16-19 year olds, and a new Skills Funding body which will take responsibility for adult learning
Parents to be given a clearer route to have their complaints about schools heard
A new negotiating pay body set up for school support staff
Government to take stronger powers to enforce measures designed to safe guard teachers' pay and conditions, for example their right to preparation time.

Left-handers' lower test scores

2008-12-03T04:56:00.000+07:00

Right-handed pupils score higher in tests, says the study

Pembelajaran kini-Left-handed pupils do less well in tests than their right-handed peers, a study from Bristol University suggests.

Researchers based their findings on national curriculum test results (Sats) and IQ tests of over 10,000 children.

The study found the gap between left and right-handed pupils did not lessen with age - the gap was still evident in Key Stage 3 tests sat at 14 years.

The study also identified slow development in "mixed-handed" pupils, where neither hand is dominant.

This phenomenon was found to be a particular problem in girls.

"Our results suggest that schools could use mixed-handedness as a marker for children who are likely to need greater intervention," the report said.

"As tests for mixed-handedness are simple to administer, they would be a cheap way of identifying children who otherwise might slip behind their peers."

Children of the 90s

The researchers wanted to establish whether being left-handed was associated with differential cognitive development.

Using data from Bristol University which tracked children born in the 1990s, the researchers examined pupils' performance in an IQ test and in Key Stage 1, 2 and 3 tests, taken at age seven, 11 and 14 respectively.

The researchers say the results mean they can rule out other factors that might have caused a gap in cognitive development, such as a poorer home background, family size and birth weight.

The study was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

Students immortalize 'everyday heroes'

2008-11-28T19:21:00.000+07:00

Pembelajaran Kini-University students from various cities in the country have their own notions of who their heroes are. They have photographed ordinary people performing heroic tasks, which are on display at an exhibition called "Invisible Heroes" until Friday, Nov. 28.

One picture depicts mothers piggybacking their children across a 20-meter-wide river. One mother, after arriving at the other side, walks barefoot on muddy soil, still carrying her daughter.

These people are not refugees. They are residents of Larangan village in Brebes in Central Java who take their kids to school on the other side of the river everyday.

"There is no transport available, so the mothers have to cross the river every day to allow their children to have a proper education," the photographer, Adi Widoyoko, told The Jakarta Post.

Adi is one of 16 finalists of the photo competition held by the University of Indonesia's Faculty of Social and Political Sciences (FISIP UI) in Depok. The finalists are students from various cities such as Surabaya, Malang, Bandung, Yogyakarta and Jakarta.

Anindita Dwipuspita, from the exhibition's committee, said the photo exhibition was part of Communication Week, an annual event that has been held since 2005. It is the first year the photo exhibition has been held.

Communication Week featured a journalism seminar Monday, a public relations seminar Tuesday, an advertising seminar Wednesday and a media seminar Thursday.

"The main theme of Communication Week is confidence and self-esteem. People with great self-esteem appreciate the smallest things happening around them. That is why this photo exhibition displays images of everyday heroes around them," Anindita said.

There are 19 photos on display at the exhibition.

A photo taken by Suwandono from Bandung is of an old man who works as a tire patcher to pay for his grandson's school tuition. In the black and white photo, the old man patches and fixes the tire of a becak. The veins on his hands are visible as he rubs the tire to patch it. His shoes are worn.

Another photo shows a security officer helping a school kid cross the road. The photo was taken by M. Hilmy Bramantyo from the University of Gadjah Mada in Yogyakarta. The security officer holds onto the child's hand to ensure his safety in the traffic filled with motorcycles.

Anindita said the photo was chosen because of its "simplicity and for being perfectly timed".

"It is always hard to catch the perfect moment in a photograph. The photo also has perfect composition. There is perfect balance between the main object and the scenery," she said.

Anindita also loves the photo of the Larangan village mothers because the storytelling element is so strong.

Anindita said the winner would receive Rp 1.5 million (US$127) with a free voucher to learn photography at the Neumatt Center for Photography Studies on Jl. Gunung Sahari Raya, Central Jakarta.

Oscar Motuloh from Antara Photojournalism Center, Ed Zoelverdy from Gatra magazine and Firman Ichsan from the Jakarta Arts Council are judging the competition.

The winners will be announced Friday, when they will also be a bazaar and a musical performance by Sore, a local indie band.

The event takes place at FISIP UI compound. (hdt)

Test abolition 'threat to Bard'

2008-11-27T00:08:00.000+07:00

The RSC fears Shakespeare is no longer a priority

Pembelajaran Kini-Teachers are cancelling their places on Shakespeare training days since the abolition of compulsory tests for 14-year-olds, thespians have warned.

The Royal Shakespeare Company said 50% of teachers signed up for courses on Key Stage 3 teaching had pulled out.

In a letter to the Commons education select committee, the RSC urged MPs to ensure Shakespeare retained a central place in pupils' education.

But the government said Shakespeare was a compulsory part of the curriculum.

National tests for Key Stage 3 in England were scrapped in October.

At the time, Children's Secretary Ed Balls said GCSEs and A-levels were sufficient to show the performance of secondary schools, without the need for tests at the age of 14.

Shakespeare isn't a priority any more

Secondary school teacher

But the RSC fears the abolition of the compulsory tests in English means there is now "no effective way of mandating practice in schools".

"We welcome the removal of current national curriculum tests at KS3," the memo to the select committee said.

"But we are concerned that Shakespeare will fall off the curriculum by default if the government does not now set clear expectations for the teaching and assessment of Shakespeare at KS3.

"Shakespeare could become a thing of the past, rather than a cultural beacon whose work exposes the ever-present dilemmas of the human condition and lights the way for so many young people to a wider cultural engagement."

'Not a priority'

In one example cited by the RSC, one secondary school teacher said: "My manager will no longer release me to attend the training day as Shakespeare isn't a priority anymore."

The RSC said it was particularly concerned that lower ability pupils could be denied access to Shakespeare.

A spokesman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families said, while teachers had more flexibility in the new secondary curriculum, ministers were committed to protecting the classics.

"At secondary school students are still required to study at least two Shakespeare plays in depth. In 2009 these will be The Tempest and Romeo and Juliet," he said.

"We are working closely with the RSC and others to ensure that students have the opportunity to see Shakespeare performed live and to bring the texts to life through the innovative use of technology - such as a podcast produced with the Globe Theatre.

"Despite the end of formal testing at Key Stage 3, schools still need to ensure that teachers receive the training they need to make the most of the curriculum."

Students build trust with inmates

2008-11-27T00:00:00.000+07:00

Pembelajaran Kini-BALANCING ACT: A mixed group of British International School students and female teenage inmates at the Tangerang penitentiary balance bamboo sticks on their finger tips. The aim of the workshop activity Wednesday was to increase their concentration. (JP/Multa Fidrus)

Ten female inmates at Tangerang penitentiary listened to instructions given by Ian Pierson, while he led a group of students from the British International School in a workshop Wednesday.

The mixed group of students and inmates followed the step-by-step instructions, ordering them to walk into each other with their eyes closed.

Some of them stopped after hitting others standing as a human wall, but some others failed to do so because they stopped before they could reach the instructed destination.

"You stopped before you could reach the human wall and that's because you are afraid of falling down. You already know that you will not fall, but you are still scared," Pierson told the group.

He said this happened because the group members couldn't trust that those standing as the human wall would stop them from falling.

"The main purpose of the activity is to train the inmates to control their emotions, and to gain the patience and concentration needed to build trust," Pierson said.

One of the inmates, Herlina, 18, who is serving the last month of her one-year prison sentence at the penitentiary for drug possession said she was very pleased to participate in the activity.

"This is a rare opportunity for me to be able to communicate with people outside the prison and I can also improve my knowledge through interaction with the (visiting) students," she said.

Another inmate Monika, who is sentenced to four years in jail for a drug offense, said she was also happy to be involved in the activity because she could learn how to control her emotions.

"I did enjoy every part of the activity because I will never find the training anywhere else," she said.

The visit was part of the Creativity Action Service (CAS), the final requirement for grade-13 students before their graduation.

"We are all required to perform creativity action service for 150 hours as the last grade to get our diploma," a student, Albert, said./jp

Classical Homeschooling

2008-11-24T14:31:00.000+07:00

Pembelajaran kita-The classical educators firmly believe that the brain develops through three stages-grammar, logic and rhetoric.

The grammar stage starts at birth and generally continues until age twelve. In the grammar stage the child is taught through listening, reading, writing and observation. The child is taught the fundamental rules of science, are or the subject of study. Each child is given only the basic concrete information based on facts only. Since the child is unable to reason, only concrete and truthful knowledge is given. In this way the child will not be subjected to abstraction, but has been given only the facts and the truth to set his foundation. The grammar curriculum, also call the correct usage of language, includes: orthography-the study of the elementary sounds, letters, and syllables for our English language, phonics, etymology-the study of classification (parts of speech), derivation (suffixes and prefixes), and properties of words (nouns and verbs), syntax-the proper construction of sentences, and spelling.

The second stage of the trivium is called logic or the science of reasoning. The logical stage for the child generally begins in middle school and continues through high school. The child is now independent, abstract and analytical. In the logical stage the child is critically thinking. They are able to take the facts that were given in the grammar stage, and ask "Why?" The logical child will dissect everything that they have learned and examine it under natural and unalterable laws of reason. At this point the child is given all the tools needed to look for the truth in the information given and to arrive at valid and accurate conclusions. The child will gain a great understanding of the subject matter in this stage because the truth is now proven through this process.

The high school child is in the rhetoric stage in pre-adulthood. In this third and final stage, the child is able to combine the mechanics of study and his thinking skills into one. The child, becoming a persuasive adult has completely reached abstraction. He will take all the knowledge that he has learned and expressively, effectively and eloquently communicate the facts to others through the written and spoken word. It is also believed that because the child at this stage knows the facts so well and has tested them thoroughly, he can now begin to test the unknown. At that point the child can now move from being practical to theoretical.

Classical education has considerably grown within the homeschooling community. Textbooks are now available for purchase. There are also a number of websites that are available for your viewing.

Montessori

2008-11-24T14:24:00.001+07:00

Pembelajaran kita-Montessori materials are also popular in some households. The Montessori method emphasizes "errorless learning," where the children learn at their own pace and in that way develop their full potential. The Montessori homeschool emphasizes beauty and avoids things that are confusing or cluttered. Wooden tools are preferred over plastic tools, and learning materials are kept well-organized and ready to use.

The Montessori method also discourages television and computers, especially for younger children. Although Montessori materials are available for high school students, most homeschoolers use the Montessori method for younger children. Books and curriculum on the Montessori method are available from American Montessori Consulting (1-562-598-2321).

Multiple Intelligences

2008-11-24T14:23:00.001+07:00

Pembelajaran kita-"Multiple intelligences" is an idea developed by Howard Gardner and Harvard University’s "project zero." The belief is that everyone is intelligent in his or her own way and that learning is easiest and most effective when it uses a person’s strengths instead of their weakness. For example, most schools use a linguistic and logical-mathematical approach when teaching, but not everyone learns that way. Some students, the bodily kinesthetic learners for example, learn best by touching and not by listening or reading. Most successful homeschoolers naturally emphasize their children’s strengths and automatically tailor their teaching to match their child’s learning style. Successful homeschoolers also adjust their learning environment and schedule so that it brings out their child’s’ best.

Some children prefer structure and learn best when they are told what to do, others learn best on their own. Some children do their best work around the kitchen table, and others excel when they are out of doors. The goal for the homeschooling parents is to identify how, when, and what their child learns best and to adapt their teaching style to their child.

The Charlotte Mason Method

2008-11-24T14:20:00.004+07:00

Pembelajaran kita-The Charlotte Mason method has at its core the belief that children deserve to be respected and that they learn best from real-life situations. According to Charlotte Mason, children should be given time to play, create, and be involved in real-life situations from which they can learn. Students of the Charlotte Mason method take nature walks, visit art museums, and learn geography, history, and literature from "living books," books that make these subjects come alive. Students also show what they know, not by taking tests, but via narration and discussion. Popular books on this method include A Charlotte Mason Education and More Charlotte Mason Education, both by Katherine Levison.

The Charlotte Mason Method

2008-11-24T14:20:00.002+07:00

The Waldorf Method

2008-11-24T14:20:00.001+07:00

The Waldorf method is also used in some homeschools. Waldorf education is based on the work of Rudolf Steiner and stresses the importance of educating the whole child—body, mind, and spirit. In the early grades, there is an emphasis on arts and crafts, music and movement, and nature. Older children are taught to develop self-awareness and how to reason things out for themselves. Children in a Waldorf homeschool do not use standard textbooks; instead, the children create their own books. The Waldorf method also discourages the use of television and computers because they believe computers are bad for the child’s health and creativity.

Books about the Waldorf method are available from the Rudolf Steiner Bookstore (1-916-961-8727). Waldorf curriculum and support is available from Oak Meadow (1-818-704-1046). More information about the Waldorf method can be viewed at Wonder Homeschool.

Classical Homeschooling

2008-11-24T14:18:00.001+07:00

Pembelajaran kita-The "classical" method began in the Middle Ages and was the approach used by some of the greatest minds in history. The goal of the classical approach is to teach people how to learn for themselves. The five tools of learning, known as the Trivium, are reason, record, research, relate, and rhetoric. Younger children begin with the preparing stage, where they learn basic reading, writing, and arithmetic. The grammar stage is next, which emphasizes compositions and collections, and then the dialectic stage, where serious reading, study, and research take place.

All the tools come together in the rhetoric stage, where communication is the primary focus. Popular books on the classical approach include The Well-Trained Mind: A guide to Classical Education at Home by Jessie Wise and Susan Wise Bauer and Recovering the Lost tools of Learning by Douglas Wilson. Also available is the book Teaching the Trivium by Harvie and Laurie Bluedorn from Trivium Pursuit (1-309-537-3641).

"Relaxed" or "Eclectic" Homeschooling

2008-11-24T14:17:00.001+07:00

"Relaxed" or "Eclectic" homeschooling is the method used most often by homeschoolers. Basically, eclectic homeschoolers use a little of this and a little of that, using workbooks for math, reading, and spelling, and taking an unschooling approach for the other subjects.

The advantage of this method is that the parent feels that the subjects they believe are most important are covered thoroughly. This method also allows the family to choose textbooks, field trips, and classes that fit their needs and interests. A good magazine for the eclectic homeschooler is Home Education Magazine (1-800-236-3278).

Homeschooling Approaches

2008-11-24T14:05:00.000+07:00

Pembelajaran kita-School-at-home is the style most often portrayed in the media because it is so easy to understand and can be accompanied by a photo of children studying around the kitchen table. This is also the most expensive method and the style with the highest burnout rate. Most families who follow the school-at-home approach purchase a boxed curriculum that comes with textbooks, study schedules, grades, and record keeping.

Some families use the school-at-home approach but make up their own lesson plans and find their own learning materials. The advantage of this style is that families know exactly what to teach and when to teach it. That can be a comfort when you are just starting out. The disadvantage is that this method requires much more work on the part of the teacher/parent and the lessons are not as much fun for the children.

Future uncertain as 11-plus ends

2008-11-24T07:41:00.000+07:00

Academic selection has proven a contentious issue

by Maggie Taggart
BBC NI education correspondent

Pembelajaran kini-The final 11-plus transfer test has been held in Northern Ireland schools, but although it is legally scrapped, academic selection is not.

Selecting pupils for grammar school on the basis of their perceived intelligence began in the late 1940s and was seen as a way of giving a free grammar school education to bright children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The method of selection has changed little although there have been attempts to radically alter it. Attempts in the 1970s to introduce non-selective education were abandoned.

Sixty years after it was introduced, the 11-plus has ended.

Few people mourn the passing of the current test but there is consternation among some parents, teachers and politicians that there will be no officially regulated method for grammar schools to choose the brightest pupils.

Sinn Féin Education Minister Caitríona Ruane would prefer children to attend their nearest post primary school, but has not suggested dropping the title of grammar school.

Pupil profile

In fact, if academic selection does not take place, parents are being told to make an informed choice about which sort of school would suit their child best: a secondary or a grammar for those more academically inclined.

To make that choice, they are told to consult their child's Pupil Profile and talk to the teachers in the primary school. The problem is that few believe middle class parents would voluntarily choose a secondary school for their children, if they and most of their family have attended grammar schools.

Secondary schools are widely accepted to be losing out in the current system. Despite a fall in the number of pupils in the population, grammar schools are accepting the full number of children they're allowed.

That leaves many secondary schools struggling to fill their places.

In the absence of government-regulated testing at 11, grammar schools have said they will set their own entrance exams.

As an interim measure, the minister for education has offered a compromise deal: Grammar schools could use tests set and marked by the CCEA (Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment).

But the schools would be restricted to taking 50% of pupils on academic criteria the first year, diminishing to none after three years.

Both the government and grammar school alternatives have similar guidelines. They would be held on grammar school premises and test children only on the English and Maths they're being taught in primary school.

Dickson plan

There is growing interest in some quarters for selecting pupils at 14.

But it is not clear whether those who back that idea would like to see a new system of schooling set up, with junior and senior high schools and grammar schools, or whether pupils would simply move to different streams within their own schools.

There is a precedent for transfer to a senior school at 14, in the Dickson plan in the Craigavon area.

It is supported by parents but research showed its success was partly due to it not being a "sealed" system. In other words, parents who want to bypass it with the 11-plus and grammar schools are not prevented from doing so.

Astro invests RM30m on Kampus Astro

2008-11-24T07:29:00.000+07:00

Pembelajaran kita-MALAYSIA'S premier direct to home satellite multi-channel television operator, Astro (5076) is investing more than RM30 million for its Kampus Astro.

Kampus Astro is a strategic initiative to provide access to world class educational and informative content and experiences to enrich the lives of Malaysians.

Astro chief executive officer Rohana Rozhan said Malaysian viewers have shown a keen interest for learning and education contents as indicated in the consistently high take up rate of its learning package at nearly 80 per cent of its total customer base of 2.5 million.

As part of its corporate responsibility initiation, Astro will provide a personal video recorder, a television set and access to its international and local learning contents to over 10,000 primary and secondary government schools including teachers’ activity centres nationwide.
The three-year programme will start in schools in Sabah and Sarawak early next year to ensure some of the schools in the rural and remote areas are able to access learning contents on television via Astro’s satellite technology. — Bernama

Foreign language learning

2008-11-23T00:32:00.000+07:00

Pembelajaran Kini-As a practicing educationalist in Indonesia for the last 12 years, it is my observation that Indonesia is not advancing as fast as it could on the international stage. One of the main problems is the weak English language skills of a lot of our professionals. Even doctors, engineers and bureaucrats are often too shy or hesitant to speak English.

My aim is by no means to debase the country's national language, but to remind people that speaking and understanding the English language is necessary in order for our professionals to be able to advance and educate themselves as per international standards.

It is important to present a brief history of the rise and decline of second-language teaching in the recent past. Maybe this might put into perspective the problems affecting our education system. It seems such a waste that every year thousands of students graduate with ""A"" grades in English but are unable to communicate effectively.

In the past, the aim of language teaching was inclined toward reading comprehension and translation, rather than the acquisition of oral proficiency. The only skills gained were those of translating meaningless sentences from the native tongue into the target language, in addition to memorizing an ever increasing amount of never-to-be-applied grammatical rules.

By analyzing positive changes, we can initiate a revolution in learning English in the classroom. Today's world has become a multilingual one, and advances in the fields of communications and technology mean that not only have languages become closer, but the cultures of the world have also become closer. This overlapping of language and culture has created a totally new concept of the modern world.

Getting back to my main theme, we can see that about 500 years ago, Greek and Latin were the classic languages of their times. For anyone to be considered scholarly, they not only had to learn these languages but also had to study other subjects through them. The technique mentioned above is known as the grammar or translation method.

The 19th century brought with it an era of instructive change. The grammar/translation method was marginalized by more contemporary ideas. Ironically, these new techniques were based on child-language learning methods. As a result, the emphasis came to be placed on learning the language as a first language. The new reform movement in language instruction rejected the structured syllabus. These practices later on formed the basis for the situational-language and lexical approaches to teaching.

The dawn of phonetics occurred and in 1886 the International Phonetics Association was established. Finally, a system had been developed that could help the speaker pronounce a language correctly at all times and in all parts of the world with little deviation from the correct version.

Speech patterns rather than grammar were the basic elements of language. Based on the scientific methodologies used, the beginning of linguistics as we know it today came into sight. A new method of language learning evolved in which the native tongue was not used as a medium of instruction. The target tongue was at all times the medium of instruction and that is why this was known as the direct method of teaching. So now we have a monolingual approach to learning a new language.

At this point, it may be relevant to inquire to what extent we can implement any of the effective teaching methodologies in the language classrooms of Indonesia. Sadly, the methods used in the majority of classes are primitive and greatly dependent on a set of texts and materials, many of them outdated and inconsistent with the needs of the student.

They are taught using the Prussian, or translation, method and the student leaves the class with little else except the rules of grammar. What the system doesn't realize is that these same students will have to apply for jobs, make presentations, use their verbal skills and generally face the modern world with only a knowledge of the rules of grammar and absolutely no lexical grasp of the English Language.

The purpose of giving such a detailed history of language learning is to alert the authorities to the harmful effects of outdated and useless teaching methods. It is also aimed at reminding them of the fact that now is the time to introduce modern and relevant teaching strategies that will produce a generation of confident and outward-looking Indonesians

It is essential to put greater emphasis on the lexical and applied aspects of a language, in addition to providing a reasonably basic grammatical infrastructure. Once this balance is obtained, we should observe an unprecedented rise in Indonesia's prestige, both in the region and the world.

The writer is a consultant at the Jubilee School, Jakarta. She can be reached at rubie_rubina@yahoo.com.

Foreign medical students

2008-11-23T00:28:00.000+07:00

Pembelajaran Kita-A recent comment from the health minister about international students in the country's top medical schools sparked a debate among educators about the internationalization of our universities. Should welcoming international medical students be at the price of reducing seats for Indonesia's brightest students?

Indonesia's health sector faces the problem of not having enough doctors to serve our population and the poor quality health services for our citizens. It is therefore logical to remind our universities of their noble responsibility to educate future health professionals who should be serving the world's fourth-most populous nation and not making financial gains the first consideration in accepting international medical students.

Nevertheless, the idea of banning universities from taking in any international medical students might stifle the internationalization process at universities and may not necessarily bring any improvement to our health sector.

Universities worldwide are being ranked for their ability to attract international students to their campuses. The low rank of our best universities in international surveys is often caused by the low enrollment of international students. Our medical schools are actually pioneering the way for internationalization to take place in our universities. It might be surprising to know that from 5,366 international students studying in Indonesia in 2007, nearly half of them were in our medical schools.

In fact, many countries around the world open their doors for international medical students, including Australia. From fewer than 300 in the year 2000, the number of international students commencing medical studies in Australia climbed to well over 400 in 2006. The number will continue rising in the coming years as more medical schools are opened in Australia.

These international medical students are not only there because Australian universities need to generate income. Financial gain is certainly very attractive. Countries that become top destinations of international students generate millions of dollars from their education industry. However, it is not the first and only reason we enroll international students.

Germany was famous for letting international students study for free. Now it allows international students to pay local-student tuition rates. Australia began accepting international students by giving out scholarships under the Colombo Plan. New Zealand allows international PhD students to pay resident rates.

The value of international education, whether in a school of medicine or a school of humanities, lies in the exchange of knowledge and science with people from around the globe, and the human spirit of embracing diversity and expanding linkages with anyone who comes from faraway lands to further their studies among us.

In the long run, countries that welcome international students eventually build up their own reputation as tolerant and open countries, as well as global centers of learning and research, without disadvantaging the local student population.

In Indonesia, welcoming international students is very important in regaining our reputation as a peaceful country. The present international students in our campuses will be Indonesia's best ambassadors in the days to come. They will invite more of their friends and family members to come to our country. In due course, they will bring more students to study at Indonesia's finest universities and build an international reputation for our higher education.

Welcoming international students in medical schools does not necessarily mean the seats for our local students are sacrificed for their international friends. International double degree programs such as the one offered at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Indonesia along with two Australian medical schools allows the faculty to increase its intake capacity and provide an international medical curriculum for our own citizens as well as citizens of other countries.

Carefully planned international programs are probably the key to increasing the number of international students without losing the seats reserved for our own citizens in the regular undergraduate medical program. This strategy certainly can ease the burden of financing medical schools. It allows more qualified Indonesians to study medicine at a reasonable cost because it is subsidized by the income generated from the international students.

By applying an international curriculum and subsidizing the local students, Indonesian medical schools will produce more internationally qualified health professionals just by spending modestly. Ultimately, Indonesia will have enough international-standard physicians to cater to the needs of our own citizens. The need to go to another country to have such health service will be significantly reduced.

Without proper evaluation of the benefits and problems of our international medical programs, taking a step to stop receiving international students may prematurely kill the internationalization of our higher education sector and prevent us from receiving global recognition for our finest universities.

The writer is a graduate from the school of education at the University of New South Wales and a lecturer at the International Language Institute at the University of Indonesia. He can be reached at agustianeditor@yahoo.com

Student problems in Australia

2008-11-23T00:23:00.000+07:00

Pembelajaran Kita-As reported by Antara in February, Agus Sartono, attache for education and cultural affairs at the Indonesian Embassy in Australia, raised a complaint against the Curtin University of Technology (CUT) Australia for its negligence in handling Indonesian research students under Technological and Professional Skills Development Sector Project (TPSDP) scholarships.

Many Indonesians scholars studying at CUT faced a lot of problems due to instability in their academic environment such as frequent changes of research supervisors and lack of equipment availability at the university.

It is a brave protest. However, such a protest won't be effective. A lot of factors often occur beyond the university's management. Moreover, a single protest to CUT will not have a wider impact.

Problems faced by students at CUT are also experienced by many Indonesian research students in other universities across Australia. The same problems particularly occur due to the complexity of the research and supervising process versus the problem.

Similar problems have lasted for long time. Interestingly, the attache's complaint emerged when a number of students under TPSDP scholarships, which is directly managed by the ministry of national education, faced that problem. It's not fair, as there are many other students facing the same problems, but they never get attention from the Indonesian government. Moreover, problems with research supervisory teams and equipment shortages are not only CUT problems, but also common in other universities across Australia.

As this is a common problem, the Indonesian Embassy needs to proactively collect data and record how many students face the same problems.

Margison and Considine, in their book The Enterprise University: Power, Governance and Reinvention in Australia (2000), stated that in the last three decades, there have been substantial changes in the higher education management system in Australia, with the so-called enterprise university. They argue that besides a lot of achievements, the enterprise university also comes with some serious problems.

First, most of the university leaders are far too separated from that which they lead, while too much is asked from them.

Second, too often the enterprise university works around and against academic cultures rather than throughout them.

In an enterprise university, academic lecturers are no longer government employees but private workers who work permanently or contracted by the university.

Under this system, every single lecturer has chance but to move to another job when he/she finds a better alternative, either in terms of money or position.

Furthermore, in an enterprise university, a department or a center can be either merged or closed suddenly when they are not productive or fail to generate sufficient revenue.

In these circumstances, therefore, a university can not guarantee that student A will be guided by Prof. A or Dr. B until he/she finishes. The university can not even guarantee that the student will be placed in the same center or department over his/her studies.

The government can take some preventive actions. Like what Malaysian government has done, it will be better if before sending students to Australia (read: overseas), the government should have complete data about the universities around the country along with their reputation. The government may then establish a general recommendation for prospective students consisting of lists of top five university departments for each discipline which should be taken into account (as the student's choice).

A department with an outstanding reputation generally has better academic lecturers, higher stability, more comprehensive infrastructure and good supporting facilities. By placing students in the right place, it is expected that uncertainties faced during the study timeframe can be reduced.

The writer is a lecturer at Jember University and a PhD candidate at the University of Queensland, Australia. He can be reached at joniaji@gmail.com.

Ensuring students get the point

2008-11-23T00:20:00.000+07:00

Pembelajaran Kita-At the end of the previous school year, all students at my school were required to evaluate the courses that they had attended. Most of the students I taught that year responded positively to my instruction.

However, there was one student who gave me striking comments on his evaluation sheet. He said the classroom activities were highly engaging, and that he and his fellow classmates had a lot of fun and had enjoyed them very much. The problem was (as he said later in his evaluation sheet) that he just did not see any clear objectives in those activities.

No matter how well we prepare learning materials, and how smoothly we deliver them in the class; how interesting and engaging our instructional strategies are; how carefully we assess students' achievement; and how much time we devote to correcting students' work and providing them with feedback -- all these noble tasks will be useless if they are not organized around clear goals.

This student, indeed, had made a very good point; that instructional strategies or activities should be applied in the classroom with the aims of the instructor in mind. Creative and engaging classroom activities are simply not sufficient for yielding effective instruction. At the same time, the student had raised a very crucial reminder: We teachers are -- probably obliviously -- focused too much on classroom activities and coverage of learning materials, while overlooking individual goals.

Instructional goals are like the finish line that keeps a marathon runner moving forward on the track. They are also the destination toward which a traveler heads. Overlooking goals, therefore, may lead to disoriented instruction in which teachers do not have a sense of where they are going or what students need to achieve.

Goals are the desired results that must be accomplished. They refer to the knowledge and understandings that students need to grasp and learn, as well as the skills they need to master by the end of a course.

Clear goals, as well as appropriate strategies to achieve them, will lead to effective classroom instruction, which in turn will enable student learning.

Teaching may be like organizing a vacation trip for students. The persons in charge cannot decide whether they will take a bus, train, or plane without having knowledge of their destination, and they cannot get to a predetermined destination without knowing how to get there. In short, their choice of transportation alternatives depends largely on where they are going.

The point is that defining instructional goals (the destination) helps teachers determine the most appropriate strategy to achieve them. Defining goals also helps teachers focus their instruction on learning materials that need to be taught, and allows them to leave out that which is not essential. This will shift teachers from coverage-oriented teaching to goal-oriented instruction.

In practice, however, teachers' selection of instructional strategies and activities is not necessarily based on what students need to accomplish. Consequently, teachers often conduct classroom activities for the sake of the activities themselves.

Part of this issue is that (especially in the case of the most experienced and veteran teachers) teaching is almost like a day-to-day routine. The danger with teaching practices that have turned into repetitive rituals is that teachers can lose sight of the goals that supposedly guide their instruction.

When this happens, becomes nothing but a meaningless and mechanistic activity.

What are the consequences of this disoriented teaching?

First, teachers may end up dumping information on students without necessarily being aware of what learning material is essential and what is not. This is where the problem of coverage lies.

Teachers may feel there is never enough time to cover all learning materials in their curriculum. The truth is that there will never be enough time if teachers are coverage-focused.

Second, the assessment -- which is a vital element of instruction -- may not hit its target because it is unclear what needs to be assessed. If this happens, we teachers will probably fail to discover whether or not our students have learned anything. There is nothing more critical to instruction than solid evidence that our students have really learned something.

Goals need not only to be part of the school's written curriculum, but also must be clearly articulated to students at the lesson level.

It is not only teachers who should have a sense of the destination. Students also need to know where teachers are taking them.

The writer, a teacher at SMA Kolese De Britto, Yogyakarta, is currently attending a graduate program at Loyola University Chicago, U.S.. He can be reached at widinugrohous@yahoo.com

Sex abuses by educators

2008-11-23T00:17:00.000+07:00

Pembelajaran Kita-All members of civilized society will and must condemn and deplore lecturers and teachers who are involved in sexual abuse as widely reported in the media .

It also creates anxiety in society. How can we not be anxious when this incident involves educators who are supposed to be role models for the students. Instead of being role models for their students' futures, they instead have disrupted their futures.

This uncivilized deed is obviously hampering our education sector as an institution which plays a vital role in developing morals in our nation's citizens. Moreover, the government has been believing and greatly expecting that the educators will create qualified human resources.

That's why the government has then tried to improve the quality of the educators by giving them a proper salary so they can better guide the student.

Unfortunately, this good intention has been misused by some immoral educators. They even use their power to force their students to do immoral things.

It may happen again someday when the government does not enforce the law against these educators. Yet the most important issue is that the government not only look for those who are academically qualified, but also those who are morally qualified.

It cannot be denied that because the government has now dignified teachers financially, more people want to become teachers -- even if it was not an interesting job for them previously.

The problem is that those teachers sadly are not concerned about the quality of education; they are merely teaching in order to fulfill their obligations and burdens as educators and they forget their responsibility to educate their students morally to be a good individual.

I believe that education builds the nation. Whether a nation will be qualified or not depends on its teachers in educating the students. You will achieve in the future from what you have created in the past.

If you have not given the best to the younger generation, do not expect the best from them in the future.

SEPTIYAN RAHMAWATI
Surakarta, Central Java

Science still not a popular career field

2008-11-23T00:13:00.000+07:00

Nobel Prize Winner Claude N. Cohen Tannoudji was very impressed when seeing hundreds of young scientists around the world gathered at the recent Physics Olympiad in Nusa Dua, Bali, last week.

The distinguished scientist openly expressed his happiness to see so many young people wanting to follow his path in the world of science.

""It is refreshing for me to be with these inspiring and talented youth coming from around the globe who all share a strong motivation in science,"" exclaimed the scientist, when delivering a special award to the Olympiad's absolute winner Ngoc Duong Dang from Vietnam on July 29.

There is no denying that only a few youngsters are interested in science. For many of them, science is something very difficult to comprehend and working in the science world is something to be avoided, if possible.

Choosing a fast-track and easy-to-get-rich career as a lawyer, doctor or banker is everybody's dream.

In many parts of the world, especially in developing countries, a scientist is a low-income and unpopular profession.

Take Junita, a graduate from the physics department of a prestigious university in Indonesia. She chose to pursue a career in a multinational bank rather than become a scientist or a lecturer at her department.

""My job is promising. With my present salary, I can save quite a lot of money. Imagine what it would be like if I worked in a cramped laboratory,"" said Junita who graduated with honors.

Harianta, a physics graduate from a Bandung university in West Java, decided to work at the state-owned telecommunication company. Now, his career is thriving.

Graduates of physics or other natural, applied sciences in Indonesia are now spreading to various professions like bankers, computer programmers, journalists, civil servants, businessmen and front desk telephone operators.

Yohanes Surya, who gained his Phd in physics from the College of William and Mary in Virginia, expressed his concern about science education in Indonesia.

""It is a vicious circle. Science has always been unpopular in Indonesia and we do very little to popularize the subject and to attract the interest of young people in science,"" said Yohanes.

Thanks to the media as well as publishing companies, there are a number of interesting science columns and programs appearing in newspapers like Kompas and Tempo dailies.

Television stations including SCTV and TPI are famous for their science programs. SCTV's Galileo Quiz was one of the station's most popular shows, while TPI's Discovery programs provide visual experiences for both young and adult viewers alike.

Johanes went further, saying the way science is taught at local schools -- from elementary to high school, is really out of date, compared to Western countries and neighbors like Singapore and Malaysia.

""Most school science material emphasizes old theories, written words, rarely on exciting experiments. This is so ineffective because science is just about everyday things,"" he said. Besides, school textbooks are too burdensome. In a quarter period or four months, students have to learn a lot of material, not to mention their mountains of homework.

""We must do something immediately to change the teaching method and the science learning system if we want to develop science. The present system burdens both students and teachers,"" Yohanes insisted.

Rudy Noerhadi, a high school teacher from Surabaya in East Java, admitted he often felt helpless when presenting science material in his class.

""Most of us only try to deliver all the material in the textbook. We do not know whether our students understand it or not. We are under pressure to achieve our target over the school year,"" said Rudi, who attended a national conference for physics teachers in Nusa Dua last week.

Ketut Killa, a principal at SMPN I junior high school in Denpasar, also agreed the teaching of science in local schools is boring and uninspiring.

""Lack of facilities is another problem. Many schools are not equipped with necessary facilities like laboratories and equipment for scientific experiments,"" he said.

When talking about school facilities, Indonesia seems to lag behind other countries in the world, even poor ones like Pakistan and Vietnam.

Lilik Hendrajaya, professor at the Bandung Institute of Technology, explained that Indonesia has never been serious in developing its education system.

Since the New Order period, the government has spent only 6 percent of the national budget compared to Malaysia that allocates 30 percent of its national budget for education.

""Indonesia has a lot of brilliant students like those who participated in the Olympiad, but the school system here prevents them from thriving,"" he said. The worst thing is that the government has never paid attention to the growing number of ""clever"" students.

""The government and the country's universities have never realized our great potential. It's a pity because foreign universities are more proactive in netting Indonesia's best students,"" Lilik said.

During the opening of the Olympiad on July 22, President Megawati Soekarnoputri had promised to improve the country's education system and to provide places for talented students. But many doubt that. Many people believe that promises by politicians or government officials are hardly likely to be fulfilled.

Yohanes urged the government to pay more attention to these ""bright students"".

""They are the nation's assets who will develop the country in the future.""

-- Rita A. Widiadana

Science fair attracts young learners

2008-11-23T00:07:00.000+07:00

Pembelajaran Kini-LET ME EXPLAIN: A participant (right) at Bali’s school science fair presents her project to a judge at Dyatmika School in Denpasar on Friday. More than 20 primary and high schools from across Bali took part in the event that featured 72 exhibits. (JP/Indah Setiawati)

I.G. Bagus Gloria Kasuma Pradana and his friends, aspiring scientists from Denpasar's State Junior High School 7, experimented with fermented carrots with one goal in mind: to create a healthy, appetizing snack for Indonesian children, and secure a spot in the third annual science fair over the weekend.

Like all great scientists, they suffered initial setbacks. Instead of developing sweet, puffy fermented cake as intended, their first trials resulted in dozens of rotten, smelly carrots. But they were not deterred.

"We learned that unlike cassava, carrots do not contain enough gluten to be fermented. So we thought, what else could we do to make carrots a great snack for children? Then, we developed the idea of crispy carrot chips," Bagus told The Jakarta Post at the science fair at Dyatmika school.

Bagus' group, which brought along cooking utensils and their ready-to-eat carrot chips, won the junior high school prize for the best project in this year's annual event. Their experiment was chosen from 72 projects from more than 20 state, private and international schools across Bali.

"We want to promote investigative science projects to children in national schools. Teaching science through experimentation is more interesting for students than teaching it in school rooms," Dyatmika's school director Katie Jones said.

Jones said she was happy with the participation of schools at this year's fair considering the first time it was held less than 10 schools contributed projects.

With dozens of competitors, the atmosphere was electric this time around as students explained their projects, with the assistance of colorful diagrams and demonstrations, to judges and visitors.

The participants from EIFB School, known as the French school, were in particularly high spirits whenever a spectator approached.

While some groups fielded questions from those inquiring about their projects, students from the French school wasted no time trying to grab the attention of everyone in their midst.

"Would you like to see our project?" fifth grader Danie Le Bourhis enthusiastically asked the Post.

The moment he had finished explaining his group's work, which tested the agility of female and male hamsters, his fellow scientists took up his lead and started presenting their ideas.

Putu Sri Artini, a science teacher at Dyatmika school, said she was hoping for even greater participation in next year's competition.

"We provide workshops for teachers before the competition. I hope all schools will join next year's competition to make it the best ever Bali school science fair." -- JP/Indah Setiawati

Japan builds new school for disabled children in Tangerang

2008-11-23T00:06:00.000+07:00

Pembelajaran Kini-SLB Yanaiz, a special school for children with learning disabilities sponsored by the Japanese government officially opens its doors Tuesday.

Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia Shiojiri officiated at the opening of the school which particularly aims to educated disabled children from low-income families.

The school is located on Jl. H. Ridwan, Pinang district, in Tangerang municipality.

"We're very happy now we have a new school building. We feel comfortable in the classroom and it's closer to my home," Khalid, 20, told The Jakarta Post.

Khalid, who is autistic and must manage the chronic condition of hydrocephalus, where excessive liquid buils up regularly in the crenium, said he only had to pay between Rp 5,000 (50 US cents) and Rp 10,000 in school fees each month.

SLB Yanaiz is managed by Erihatu Samasuru Lesuri Tapirone (ESLT), a humanitarian foundation Izak Timisela established in 2000.

"We started the school in a rumah petak (modest rental house). Now we have a three-storey building with 12 classrooms, a clinic, a kitchen, a teachers' office and an auditorium all because of the interest of community members and the Japanese government," Izak said.

The new school building, which cost Rp 1.1 billion, was erected with financial assistance from the Japanese government on a 250-square-meter plot in Poncol Bojong kampung.

It focuses on teaching children with various disabilities including autism, visual impairment, blindness and partial or complete deafness.

According to Shiojiri, the Japanese government financed the project, which serves both children and adults, under the Grassroots Program with financial assistance amounting to $85,994.

Childcare is a job that people really love doing.

2008-11-22T23:57:00.001+07:00

Pembelajaran Kini-They enjoy the variety and the fun – and the satisfaction that comes from watching a child progress and develop.

There’s never been a better time to work in Early Years and Childcare. It’s a fast growing sector and there is an increasing demand for staff at all levels. There are plenty of opportunities to gain training and qualifications, whether part time, full time or through work based learning.

Early years and Childcare is an expanding and dynamic sector. It’s also an important career, as those who work in it play an incredibly valuable role in shaping the lives of future generations. It’s a career you can be proud of.

If you have passion, enthusiasm, and of course love working with children, this could be the career for you.

Eight Tips for Helping First Graders to Read

2008-11-22T23:47:00.001+07:00

By: Frank C. Rogers, TATRAS

A child who can read easily, quickly and for pleasure in the first grade has one of the greatest lifetime academic advantages that can be given to him. And it's parents who can make that happen.

Concerned and active parents, regardless of their own reading or language abilities, can provide the key to a child's learning to read effectively and for pleasure. Here are some tips that will help you to help your child succeed to his maximum potential.

Tip 1 Teach the alphabet! A child's ability to name the letters of the alphabet, as he starts the first grade, is the best predictor of reading success at the end of that first year. This fact, drawn from nation-wide studies sponsored by the US Office of Education in the mid 60's, has special significance for parents.

It means that parents with a little foresight and action can provide their children with an important head start in that most critical of times, the first grade. Perhaps the simplest way to start is by teaching the names of the letters a, b and c using store bought alphabet flash cards. Purchase the type of cards that just show the small letters or that show the capital and small letters together. Start when your child is three or four. Allow a couple of years to complete this very important task. (Many different flash card sets are available. One is the $4.60 Trend Enterprises Inc. Alphabet Match-Me flash cards, item: T-1675.) Here, you will receive your first test as a teacher. Will you have the patience not to rush the learning process? Will you be able to stick with the same few cards for weeks, adding new cards only when the others have been mastered. Will you keep instruction short, usually taking just a minute. Will you point out letters as they appear before the student on signs, labels and in books.

Both parents should be involved in this. Each step of a child's beginning reading efforts benefits from a family motivational effort. And however slow the student is, parents must always make him feel that he is doing more than they expected.

Can we assume that because of the USOE report, the names of the letters will be taught in kindergarten? Not according to two Department of Education surveys done in the spring of 1993. They reported that while over half of the parents surveyed thought that knowing the names of the letters was important, only 10% of kindergarten teachers thought it essential or very important (Wall Street Journal, July 8, 1994).

Regardless of the age, when a student finally knows the names of all of the letters of the alphabet and shows signs of wanting to read, he is probably ready to begin phonics.

Tip 2 Teach Phonics! Phonics is the relationship between letters and the sounds they represent, for the purposes of teaching beginning reading and spelling. The "sounds" of letters should be directly taught. That is, an instructor will point to an ar and say, "The sound that an ar makes is c/ar/." (Note: "car" is a helper-word here; the reader should say only the sound of the letters between the slash marks. Try this: What are these sounds, d/O/ and b/OO/k?).

For at least the past 60 years, a major reading-teaching problem has been the use of indirect phonics or, as many call it, "phony" phonics. Educators using indirect phonics say that if a child is taught party, farmer, shark and charge by whole word memorization, the child will figure out that ar says c/ar/.

The amazing thing is that "phony phonics" does work for a certain number of students. But it leaves large numbers of students, mostly boys, unable to isolate and organize the large number of letters and letter combinations for which they should know the sounds. Many students struggle silently and feel inadequate after being taught such ineffective word recognition strategies. Their learning to read easily will be delayed, often for years, compounding any other problems the student might have. Parents must protect their students from this frustration. Teach direct and systematic phonics; it works for all students.

Some educators feel there is a problem with phonics. Phonics is confusing, they say, because letters represent different sounds in different words. For a well-designed phonics program this turns out to be no problem at all.

First, note that parents teaching phonics teach not only the sounds of individual letters, but also of letter combinations. Ch, igh, eigh, oy, th, sh, for example. A child being taught the sounds of ch and c will never confuse the c in chapel for the c in cookie.

Second, because some letters or letter combinations make several sounds, it is possible to teach a student to always try, first, the most frequent sound. In the child's first phonics lesson he might be taught that a has three sounds: /A/t, /AY/, /AW/. Then he is told to always try the /A/t sound, first, when sounding out a word. That will enable him to decode most of the words he encounters. But if it doesn't, he is trained to quickly try the second sound.

Does that sound very complicated and drawn out? But here are three little-known factors that allow a phonics system of this type to be the surest, simplest and easiest path to reading. If the letters and letter sounds are taught in the order of their frequency of occurrence in the English language, just learning the first 20 phonograms will allow students to decode most of the most-often-occurring words in English.

As a student decodes or recognizes these words on the average of 40 times, they become words that are instantly recognized. These words are no longer sounded out letter-by-letter. Such words are instantly recognized. Expanding the students instantly-known reading vocabulary allows him to be a rapid reader!

Just 300 to 400 words account for half of the words in any adult text material. Most students will be reading age-level books and stories after just learning the 20 most often occurring letter/letter combinations and then decoding the first couple of hundred most-often-occurring words twenty to thirty times.

Caution: Word lists must be carefully designed! Long lists of non-prioritized words, read in isolation, are boring to many students. Hooked on Phonics lists 3,330 words, Schlafly's First Reader lists 3,109 words (including 220 first names!) and Spalding lists about 1600. TATRAS teaches 837 words. Yet the TATRAS words probably account for over two-thirds of the words in adult level text.

Knowing key words instantly and being able to fearlessly sound out each strange word from left to right are abilities that will, with certainty, make every child an independent reader at the earliest possible time. And it will tend to make them good spellers!

Tip 3 Read to your child, but... Surprise! Reading to a child does many wonderful things, but you should not assume that it will teach him to read. In fact, certain ways of reading to a child can actually hinder his learning to read or spell.

When reading to a child, don't teach him specific printed words unless you can teach him the sounds of each letter in the word. Teach the phonics of the word as you let him try to sound it out. Children can learn many words by memorizing how they look. But this kind of whole word memorization makes it difficult for them to develop the phonics habit that they need to read by themselves.

Reading to a child will expand his vocabulary. It will help him to understand our language in its different forms and styles. And it will widen his knowledge of how the world works and improve his language comprehension ability.

But to start independent reading and achieve excellence as a reader and speller at the earliest possible time, a child must be directly taught letter/sound associations.

Tip 4 Choosing an effective phonics system. Phonics programs can be placed into four different categories based on the manner in which they teach phonics and word recognition. (1). One method is Vertical Phonics (2). In this method the different sounds for each letter or letter combination are taught at one time. When a vertical phonics instructor points to a letter or letter combination, the student says all the sounds of that letter instantly. The most often occurring sound of that letter or letter combination is taught as the first sound. This method was described in Tip 2, "Teach Phonics!" above.

The TATRAS (Teach America to Read & Spell) and Spalding (Writing Road to Reading) methods both teach vertical phonics. TATRAS provides logical answers to many words that Spalding views as inconsistent. TATRAS also believes that: Reading is the road to writing; Children should learn the names of the letters before phonics instruction; Word decoding can start with knowing the sounds of just four letters.

Horizontal Phonics programs, on the other hand, start by teaching only the short vowel sounds (along with some consonant sounds) and then, at first, teaching only words that use the short-vowel sounds. When he has mastered words like run, stop, jump, hit, it is explained to the student that vowels also make a "long" sound. Then he is taught words like taking, Jane, and liking. Though inefficient, the horizontal method has been the traditional way of teaching phonics.

Here's the problem with horizontal phonics: Imagine a teacher, for three months, showing pictures of the U.S. presidents and teaching children only the presidents' first name. Following that, for three months, she teaches students the last names. That violates the associative principle of memory. Things that are logically associated together should be taught together. Isn't it obviously inefficient to, first, teach children to associate the sound /A/t with the letter a and then, at a later time, to teach them to associate /AY/ with the letter a. Still later they may be told that a says /AW/.

Horizontal phonics, teaching the different sounds of letters at different times, worked for many years. But, to avoid the pitfalls of electronic entertainment, children today must have reading made as easy as possible for them. Vertical phonics, teaching all of a letter's sounds at one time, and learning the core words of English, will allow virtually every child to read well by the third grade. A third phonics method is the Word Family Method. This method uses lists of words that contain minimal changes between words. And it uses unnecessary letter/letter combinations (3). Word lists used by this method look like: ram, am cram, wham or wing, fling, sing, thing, etc. Like horizontal phonics, the word family method initially exposes students to one sound for each letter. Hooked on Phonics, First Reader (Phyllis Schlafly) and Alpha-Phonics (Blumenfeld) draw heavily on this method. Using word families is often awkward and boring. For example, The Hooked on Phonics program, being sold by the thousands in 1994, listed on, pages 32 and 34 of book 2, 121 consecutive words ending in ing.

A fourth phonics method is Special Symbol Phonics. This method uses specially designed symbols to represent the different sounds of letters and letter combinations in its beginning textual material. For example, the three sounds that a might make would be represented by three different symbols all looking similar to that letter but slightly modified. The student is trained to recognize the one sound that each symbol represents. One Hundred Easy Lessons (Engelmann) and Self Pronouncing Alphabet use this method.

Tip 5 Teach the printing of letters! At least a year before the student enters the first grade, ask the school for a chart that shows how that school expects the student to form his manuscript letters. Very gently start teaching the student how to form the lower-case (small) letters of the alphabet. Once a letter is introduced, make sure the student masters it before going on to a new letter. It often helps to have the student trace letters with his index finger on letter templates.

Use of plastic slip-on pencil grippers helps parents (who are not too sure themselves) of how to hold the pencil correctly. Very carefully monitor how the student is holding the pencil. Bad habits can be formed very quickly.

Aim for quality, not quantity. Don't ask a kindergartner to make more than two or three of any one letter in a practice session. Printing is not crucial; postpone printing if it can't be made enjoyable. A manuscript letter chart and letter template, pencil gripper and pencil are included in the TATRAS Penny Primer Starter Set.

Tip 6 Teach phonics to every child! Phonics should be taught to the very smartest child and to the very slowest, if either is to reach his maximum reading and spelling potential.

The value of basic facts taught by rote memory followed by repetitive kinesthetic (muscular) practice for speed is confirmed in other academic areas. Children best learn to play the piano by first learning the names of the printed musical notes, the location of those notes on the keyboard and then by doing hours of keyboard exercises. Beginning typists memorize the home row keys and then do hours of repetitive typing exercises. In the same way beginning readers learn to read best by memorizing an efficient set of sound/letter associations (See p. 24 of the Saltmine & Hifwip manual). Then they have many short sessions of decoding words, first in short lists, then in text, until all words become instantly known. Phonics is an essential tool for beginning readers but it is abandoned, as most words become sight words.

Poetry, which can start after the student knows just the first 20 phonograms, then demonstrates the joy of learning to read at home. It is an exhilarating experience to hear a student improve his ability to understand a meaningful selection at every reading. While reading, he will be storing away, for lifetime use, the definitions, explanations and anecdotes that the text will cause parents to provide.

A long-term language problem for most students is spelling. Research has shown that children who are good at phonics are better spellers. And the first words a child should learn to spell, so that he can start writing, are the most often occurring words of our language-the same ones that he should have learned first to read!

Tip 7 Don't expect teachers to believe in phonics because you do. While in college, even Christian colleges, most first-grade and special-ed teachers were taught in education and psychology classes that phonics was not the most effective word recognition tool. (For many reasons not to use phonics see, "Fon'iks-Not the Reading Cure-all," The Christian Educators Journal, Feb. 1991.)

At the heart of the miseducation of America reading teachers is the failure to recognize implications of the different stages of reading development. The lowest of these levels is beginning reading. At this stage students should be taught effective phonic word recognition strategies. Then with practice they will have little trouble understanding sentences written with the over 4,000 words that they already know orally. Note that most students, by the age of six, through at least five years of intensive oral English experience, have nearly mastered English semantics (word meaning) and syntax (structure).

College text authors and college reading professors can rhapsodize about "the search for meaning," "comprehension," and "print-rich environments." But lifetime failure starts for children in East Coast ghettos or in Orange County, California when they can not sound out core words that are, orally, a part of their daily language environment. Beginning reading should teach key sound/symbol relationships by rote memory, show how to apply those relationships to recognize printed words and then establish reflexive responses to the most often occurring words in printed English!

"Meaning" and "comprehension" are a well-developed part of a six-year-old child's general language abilities. They are not a major concern in that first stage: beginning reading. Most teachers, at some time in their careers, believe that phonics and direct instruction is effective. But they fail to review professional journals that publish research examining and supporting

those beliefs. The problem of illiteracy in American is political with universities generally supporting the liberal, non-phonics perspective (4).

Tip 8 Mom, Dad -- become reading teachers! Working with adults or other children, before yours are ready for reading, provides great insight into the reading and spelling processes. Any motivated parent or grandparent can do it. Many will significantly improve their own reading ability just using the TATRAS program.

Next year over 3.5 million children will enter the first grade and begin reading instruction. Because only an estimated 10-15 percent of these children will receive effective reading instructions (5), there is going to be a need for thousands of phonics-trained tutors. Become a tutor and work for personal satisfaction or for income.

Notes:
1. For details and critical comments on the "Four methods of teaching phonics" send a SASE to TATRAS and ask for the "tan sheet." For "Spalding vs. TATRAS, a Comparison" visit tatras@verticalphonics.com.
2. Vertical Phonics might also be called "integrated" or "whole" phonics. Do not confuse such phonics with "whole" or "integrated" language instruction. Vertical phonics integrates, that is, teaches together, all the sounds of each letter or letter combination. Whole Language integrates, that is, teaches together, reading, speaking, writing, thinking, etc. Integrated language arts instruction was rejected at least as far back as 1951; its nation-wide use now is not supported by research and will likely deliver, within a short time, an educational disaster dwarfing even the "New Math" fiasco of the '70s. "New Math" had also been rushed into schools without adequate testing. (See Why Johnny Can't Add, Prof. Morris Klein, CR l973, St. Martin's Press).

Research has shown that to teach a complex subject, the "part" method, not the "whole" method, is more efficient. In more technical terms, the "part" method is also called the sequential, structured or skills method. The sequential, structured, or skills methods are strongly opposed by Whole Language advocates. To them, teaching direct phonics is considered inappropriately teaching a skill.

Whole Language methods of teaching reading particularly hinder lower socio-economic class students. Such children require a very sequential, skills oriented method of reading instruction. Deprived by poor reading instruction of the basic skills, many such children later will become involved in, if not violence, drugs, crime or having children out of wedlock, then under employment or dependency on government support programs. This observation refutes the contention that Whole Language "empowers" students. (For skills needs of lower socio-economic students, see Teaching All Children to Read, Michael A. Wallach & Lise Wallach, CR 1976, University of Chicago Press. Or Teach Them All To Read by S. Alan Cohen, CR 1969, Random House).

3. Schlafly's First Reader teaches the sounds of 111 letters or letter combinations. Hooked on Phonics teaches the sounds of 220 letters or letter combinations, TATRAS teaches 68. In regard to words: Hooked on Phonics lists 76 words to be learned by whole word memorization. TATRAS lists only two words, of and eye, to be learned by whole word memorization. More carefully designed, The 837 TATRAS words include 500 of the Most-Often-Occurring (MOO) words in print. The TATRAS list identifies 90 irregular words occurring in the 3,000 MOO words in print.

4. Whole Language advocates clearly state that teaching reading is political and they imply that pro-phonics advocates are largely right-wing Christians. However Rudolph Flesch, the author of Why Johnny Can't Read, considered himself a liberal. Based on remarks in their book, the pro-skills Wallachs, above, are also liberals. The Scientific American inan article entitled "How Should Reading Be Taught" (March, 2002) says "Sides were often divided along political lines, with conservatives backing phonics and liberals favoring whole-language instruction."

In fact, some conservative Christian institutions appear to be rejecting phonics. The academic attack on effective phonics instruction may be typified by an article in the Spring 1994 issue of the Journal of Research on Christian Education, published by the School of Education, Andrews University, Berrien Springs, MI. The article, "The Prevalence of Phonics Instruction in Fundamentalist Christian Schools" rejects phonics instruction. (Also see reference to Christian Educators Journal article in Tip 7.) Such anti-phonics attitudes, and the damage to children they portend, indicate an urgent need for phonics revitalization programs in all schools, but especially in Christian and traditionally conservative schools and universities.

5. Oct '94 inquiry to The Right to Read Foundation, 3220 N St. NW, Suite 174, Wash D.C.20007

Used Homeschool Book Hunting Grounds

2008-11-22T23:44:00.000+07:00

3 Areas to Bag the Big Ones

The used homeschool book hunting season is officially open! Every year hundreds of thousands of well-intentioned homeschool-mothers-turned-hunter begin the process of tracking quality used homeschool books.

Hunting season always begins so full of promise, but often ends up being so disappointing because homeschool hunters don’t know where to hunt! Here are three places you will be able to flush out your used homeschool book needs and be in used homeschool book hunting heaven.

Happy Hunting Ground #1 Friends and Family

Gather a list of the books you will need for the up coming year and give it to your family, friends and support group members. Perhaps you won’t have to spend a dime and just borrow or even swap books for the year.
Remember to write down what you have borrowed or loaned out and take special care of them. I can’t tell you how many times I receive phone calls from ladies frantically scrambling to replace the borrowed curriculum they have ruined.

Happy Hunting Ground #2 Used Book Sales

Study the prey. Familiarize yourself on what books you would like to buy and what they look like
Organize a list of all the books you need. Include publisher, grade, title, copyright date, bar code, and retail price.
Budget your money. Know how much you are willing to spend for your homeschool year. It is so easy to get carried away if you think you are getting a great deal!
Arrive early. The early bird does indeed get the worm.

Happy Hunting Ground #3 Online Used Book Dealers

Scout out shipping costs, years the company has been in business, and if there are any guarantees. It is your job to educate yourself on how this business is run.
Map out the site. Take a few moments to familiarize yourself with the lay of the land. Explore the home page, tool bars, catalog page and see if there are any specials.
Check on book compatibility by observing copyright dates, barcodes match, and see if the site offers thumbnail pictures of the books to match.
Ask questions. Online used homeschool book dealers are trained to be your hunting guide. There is no question about it… in order to find the right game you have to find the right place to hunt. These three suggestions for finding the Hunting Grounds for used homeschool books will make the process a great deal easier and happier. Let the hunt begin!

If you want to hunt for used homeschool books from the comfort of your very own home, check out my website at www.usedhomeschoolbooks.com
Shelley Noonan homeschooled for 13 years and has operated a used homeschool book business for 14 years.

Does Your Schedule Reflect God's Priorities?

2008-11-22T23:42:00.000+07:00

Pembelajaran Kini-Have you ever heard from another mom, “I could never homeschool, I’m not patient enough, or not organized enough.”? Well, homeschooling does require organization, some goals, patience, a schedule of sorts . . . and patience.

My organizational skills have been honed to perfection-for me-as long as no one else touches my pile! I can find anything in that pile, as long as it hasn’t been disturbed. Do you think this is possible in a family of ten? In my house, objects grow legs and walk away from their assigned spots. Scissors, glue, paper, tape, and any type of writing utensil that is supposed to be next to the phone, vanish into thin air. Unless, of course, you count a yellow crayon and a piece of paper towel decorated with grape jelly, these seem to have some “staying power.”

I sat down this summer before the school year started and dutifully wrote out a schedule for everyone. It looked great. I even had some “slack time.” I did this right before our eighth baby was born. My children would learn their lessons well, despite a new baby in the house. New babies sleep a lot, and I should have lots of time to get in all I had planned.

I have a confession to make . . . I hit the “end of myself” rather quickly. I have felt overwhelmed, unqualified, unorganized, unscheduled, tired, and impatient. After fifteen continuous years of teaching my children, I’ve had thoughts of “other options.” I cried out to God and told Him I couldn’t possibly meet all the needs of the different ages represented in my house.

Do you know what I learned? I had finally reached the place where God wanted me. My schedule never was my own, I only thought it was. My planned curriculum was my plan. Those interruptions, which caused me frustration, were meant to change my schedule.

I recently heard the question, “Does your schedule reflect your priorities?” I could honestly answer that it did. You see, I have reading to teach, math skills, research skills, potty training . . . then God spoke directly to my heart, “Cory does your schedule reflect my priorities? Hmm. “So, Lord, what are your priorities?”

“Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. Teach this to your children as you sit in your house, as you walk along the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”

I am greatly humbled by this very simple directive.

There are things in my schedule that must be done, like laundry, meals, and the physical needs of my children. My children are my closest neighbors. Do I love them as much as I love myself? Am I teaching them to love their God? How did God show his love for us?

“Yet while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

I have great difficulty dying to self and serving selflessly. I have much to learn. I trust Him to show me the needs in my family and how to meet them. He is the source of all wisdom.

I attended a memorial service for a week-old baby the Lord called home. Although the family grieved the loss, they each, including several of their children, gave testimony of their hope in salvation. One daughter spoke of her mother’s willingness to die for this baby, if called to do that. She shared how this showed her a little picture of what Christ did and that she hoped to be like her mom because she has learned so much from her.

“Her children rise up and called her blessed.”

What are my children learning from me? I am learning that every word that comes out of my mouth teaches something. What am I teaching when I speak in frustration? Or when I don’t give my total attention when they have something to tell me? (Eye contact helps here) How about the tone of voice I use, what does that teach?

I am learning, just as my schedule is not my own, my whole life is not my own.

“I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

I humbly accept my calling, and whatever schedules the Lord ordain. I am learning to die to self.

Roger and Cory and their family of eight live in West Virginia, where they homeschool four while they watch the toddler and baby the baby. Their oldest daughter and son work at Homeschool Legal Defense and Patrick Henry College respectively while they are in college.

How To Increase Learning

2008-11-22T23:39:00.001+07:00

Pembelajaran Kini-There is truly no place like home! We got home from 5 days in Missouri last Thursday. I had two 12 hour speaking days and was exhausted beyond belief.

After 2 nights in my own bed I was beginning to feel like myself again. Then on Saturday afternoon I spent a few hours home alone and I was reminded of something. Like so many things in life, I had already learned this, but I saw the truth again this day.

The lesson I was reminded of was that even though I am glad to be home – home isn’t this house. Without my husband and children it is just a house.

Yes, it is my house filled with the things that are familiar to me and arranged in a way that pleases me. Yet my house doesn’t minister to my soul and nourish my spirit.

I had been thinking of how good I would feel when I got home but Saturday afternoon alone in my house, I again realized the truth; this house is not a home without the souls that look to me for nourishment of body and soul in it. They look to me for nourishment and by giving it to them I myself am nourished too. Like I have said before, give it all up and you get it all back in duplicate.

We are laying out the fall issue of TEACH. It is on … you are going to love this … yelling. I know that I am not the only one who struggles with the idea that if we just speak a little louder, a little more firmly, if we just say over and again in a little different way, that the children will “get it.” Of course, we have all tried this out and know that it is not true. In fact, in Proverbs the Bible tells us that it is the opposite that will help.

“Sweetness of lips increases learning.”

If we will control our tongues, our tones, and our volumes we will increase their learning. So this issue of the magazine will explore all sorts of creative, unusual, and effective ways of controlling our tongues. If you have ever yelled at your children, you will love this issue!

So, snuggle your husband and children and take it from me, there’s no place like home with your loved ones! This is the place I want to be. There’s no place like home. source: http://www.teachmagazine.net/index.php?mact=News,cntnt01,

Homeschooling and college admissions

2008-11-22T23:23:00.001+07:00

Pembelajaran Kini-The lack of "formal" records and transcripts (kept by school districts) can be a problem for home-schooled students that wish to enter college. Most, if not all, states permit homeschool high school parents to issue a high school transcript for their child^{[citation needed]}. The College Board suggests that homeschooled students keep detailed records and portfolios.^[15]

In the last several decades, US colleges and universities are becoming increasingly open to accepting students from diverse backgrounds, including home-schooled students.^[16] According to one source, homeschoolers have now matriculated at over 900 different colleges and universities, including institutions with highly selective standards of admission such as Harvard University, Stanford University, Cornell University, Brown University, Dartmouth College, and Princeton University.^[17]

Patrick Henry College in Purcellville, Virginia, which was established specifically for higher education of students who have received their earlier education at home, emphasizes civic engagement of its students. However, this college also requires strict religious and political tests for admission and does not tolerate students with disparate viewpoints (see Wikipedia article, Patrick Henry College for discussion).

Motivations

Reason for homeschooling	Number of homeschooled students	Percent	s.e.
Can give child better education at home	415,000	48.9	3.79
Religious reason	327,000	38.4	4.44
Poor learning environment at school	218,000	25.6	3.44
Family reasons	143,000	16.8	2.79
To develop character/morality	128,000	15.1	3.39
Object to what school teaches	103,000	12.1	2.11
School does not challenge child	98,000	11.6	2.39
Other problems with available schools	76,000	9.0	2.40
Child has special needs/disability	69,000	8.2	1.89
Transportation/convenience	23,000	2.7	1.48
Child not old enough to enter school	15,000	1.8	1.13
Parent's career	12,000	1.5	0.80
Could not get into desired school	12,000	1.5	0.99
Other reasons*	189,000	22.2	2.90

According to a 2003 U.S. Census survey, 33% of homeschooling households cited religion as a factor in their choice. The same study found that 30% felt school had a poor learning environment, 14% objected to what the school teaches, 11% felt their children were not being challenged at school, and 9% cited morality.^[18]

According to the U.S. DOE's "Homeschooling in the United States: 2003", 85 percent of homeschooling parents cited "the social environments of other forms of schooling" (including safety, drugs, bullying and negative peer-pressure) as an important reason why they homeschool. 72 percent cited "to provide religious or moral instruction" as an important reason, and 68 percent cited "dissatisfaction with academic instruction at other schools."^[12] 7 percent cited "Child has physical or mental health problem", 7 percent cited "Child has other special needs", 9 percent cited "Other reasons" (including "child's choice," "allows parents more control of learning" and "flexibility").^[12]

Other reasons include more flexibility in educational practices for children with learning disabilities or illnesses, or for children of missionaries, military families, or otherwise traveling parents. Homeschooling is sometimes opted for the gifted student who is accelerated, when a child has a significant career hobby (such as acting, circus performance, dancing or music), or for families who wish to abstain from mandatory immunizations.

International status and statistics

(Green) Legal (Yellow) Mostly Legal; may be disputed in most political subdivisions (Orange) Generally considered illegal, but untested legally (Red) Illegal

Homeschooling is legal in many countries. Countries with the most prevalent home education movements include Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Some countries have highly regulated home education programs as an extension of the compulsory school system; others, such as Germany^[19] and Brazil, have outlawed it entirely. In other countries, while not restricted by law, homeschooling is not socially acceptable or considered undesirable and is virtually non-existent.

Europe

Austria

Status: Legal

Homeschooling is legal in Austria.^[19]

France

Status: Legal

In France, homeschooling is legal and requires the child to be registered with two authorities, the 'Inspection Académique' and the local town hall (Mairie). An inspection is carried out twice yearly once a child reaches the age of six (it is obligatory from the age of eight). This is normally in French, however it can occasionally be in English if the parents request it and the local Inspection Académique is amenable.^{[citation needed]}

The inspection involves written tests in both French and Mathematics, the first of which is used as a benchmark to check what level the child is. The tests are carried out with the anticipation that the child will progress in ability as she/he ages, thus they are designed to measure development with age, rather than as a comparison to say a school child of a similar age.^{[citation needed]}

Germany

Further information: Homeschooling in Germany

Status: Illegal

Since 1938, homeschooling has been illegal in Germany (with rare exceptions). Children cannot be exempted from formal school attendance on religious grounds. The requirement for children from an age of about 6 years through the age of 16 to attend school has been upheld, on challenge from parents, by the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany. Penalties against parents who allow their children to break the mandatory attendance laws may include fines (around €5,000), actions to revoke the parents' custody of their children, and jail time.

Ireland

Status: Legal

From 2004 to 2006, 225 children had been officially registered with Ireland's National Education Welfare Board, which estimated there may be as many as 1500–2000 more unregistered homeschoolers.^[20] The right to a home education is guaranteed in the constitution of Ireland.^[21]

Slovenia

Status: Legal

The number of people homeschooling in Slovenia has been increasing over the years.^[22] The Slovenian term for homeschooling is "izobraževanje na domu".^{[citation needed]}

United Kingdom

See also: Education Otherwise and Schoolhouse Home Education Association

Status: Legal (England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own education laws each with slight variations regarding education otherwise than at school.)

Education provided outside a formal school system is primarily known as Home Education within the United Kingdom, the term Home Schooling is occasionally used for those following a formal, structured style of education – literally schooling at home. To distinguish between those who are educated outside of school from necessity (e.g. from ill health, or a working child actor) and those who actively reject schooling as a suitable means of education the term Elective Home Education is used.^[23]

Roland Meighan's 1995 estimate of home educators in the United Kingdom was "almost 10,000",^[24] and in 1996 the London Evening Standard stated that 15,000 families home-educating in Britain was a 50 percent increase from the previous year.^[25] One home-education advocate estimated 50,000 children being home-educated in 2005.^[26]

Asia and the Pacific

Australia

Status: Legal

The Australian census does not track homeschooling families, but Philip Strange of Home Education Association, Inc. very roughly estimates 15,000.^[27] In 1995, Roland Meighan of Nottingham School of Education estimated some 20,000 families homeschooling in Australia.^[24]

In 2006, Victoria passed legislation^[28] requiring the registration of children up to the age of 16 and increasing the school leaving age to 16 from the previous 15, undertaking home education (registration is optional for those age of 16–17 but highly recommended). The Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) is the registering body.^[29]^[30]

People's Republic of China

Status: Disputed (currently considered illegal)

There are no accurate statistics of home schooling in the People's Republic of China. However, increasing reports of homeschooling in the media^[31] suggest that the number is growing. The Compulsory Education Law states that the community, schools and families shall safeguard the right to compulsory education of school-age children and adolescents, and compulsory education is defined as schooling, therefore homeschooling is illegal.

Hong Kong

Status: Illegal

Attendance at school is compulsory and free for students aged six to fifteen in Hong Kong. Parents who fail to send their children to school can be jailed for 3 months and fined HK$10000. In 2000, a man named Leung Jigwong (梁志光) disagreed with Hong Kong's education policy and refused to send his 9-year-old daughter Leung Douling (梁道靈) to school. Instead, he taught her Chinese, English, French, Maths and The Art of War at home. After 2.5 years of discussion, the Education Department finally served an "attendance order" on him and his child was required to attend a normal school.^[32]^[33]^[34]

Indonesia

Status: Legal

Homeschooling in Indonesia (Indonesian: Pendidikan Rumah) is regulated under National Education System 2003 under division of non-formal education.^[35] This enable the children of Home Schooling to attend an equal National Tests to obtain an “Equivalent Certificate”.^[36] The home schooling is recently becoming a trend in upper-middle to upper class families with highly educated parents with capability to provide better tutoring^[37] or expatriate families living far away from International School. Since 2007 the Indonesia’s National Education Department took efforts in providing Training for Home Schooling Tutors and Learning Media^[38] even though the existence of this community is still disputed by other Non Formal education operators.^[39] school.

New Zealand

Status: Legal

Karl M. Bunday cites the New Zealand TV program "Sixty Minutes" (unrelated to the U.S. program), as stating in 1996 that there were 7,000 school-age children being homeschooled.^[25] Philip Strange of the Australian Home Education Association Inc. quotes "5274 registered home educated students in 3001 families" in 1998 from the New Zealand Ministry of Education.^[27]

"At 1 July 2007 there were 6,473 homeschooled students recorded on the Ministry of Education’s homeschooling database, which represents less than one per cent of total school enrolments at July 2007. These students belonged to 3,349 families."^[40]

Canada

Status: Legal

Meighan estimated the total number of homeschoolers in Canada, in 1995, to be 10,000 official and 20,000 unofficial.^[24] Karl M. Bunday estimated, in 1995, based on journalistic reports, that about 1 percent of school-age children were homeschooled.^[41] In April 2005, the total number of registered homeschool students in British Columbia was 3,068.^[42] In Manitoba, homeschoolers are required to register with Manitoba Education, Citizenship and Youth. The number of homeschoolers is noted at over 1,500 in 2006; 0.5% of students enrolled in the public system.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] United States

Further information: Homeschooling in the United States

Status: Legal

Public schools were gradually introduced into the United States during the course of the 19th century. The first state to issue a compulsory education law was Massachusetts, in 1789,^[5] but not until 1852 did the state establish a "true comprehensive statewide, modern system of compulsory schooling."^[5]

Prior to the introduction of public schools, many children were educated in private schools or in the home. During this period illiteracy was common and many children were never properly educated.^[43] It was common for literate parents to use books dedicated to educating children such as Fireside Education, Griswold, 1828, Warren Burton's Helps to Education in the Homes of Our Country,^[44] 1863, and the popular McGuffey Readers, sometimes bolstered by local or itinerant teachers, as means and opportunity allowed.^[10] Raymond Moore, among others, asserted that the United States was at the height of its national literacy under this informal system of tutelage, but such claims are difficult to prove.^[45]

After the establishment of the Massachusetts system, other states and localities gradually began to provide public schools and to make attendance mandatory. In 1912 A.A. Berle of Tufts University, (not to be confused with the Adolf Berle who was a delegate to the Paris Peace Conference) asserted in his book The School in Your Home that the previous 20 years of mass education had been a failure and that he had been asked by hundreds of parents how they could teach their children at home.^[10]

Since the beginning of public school systems in the United States, members of the Catholic Church have been practicing homeschooling or supporting private parochial schools, as they do not entirely agree with some of what is taught in many public schools.^{[citation needed]}

Statistically, the typical American homeschooling parents are married, homeschool their children primarily for religious or moral reasons, and are almost twice as likely to be Evangelical than the national average. They average three or more children, and typically the mother stays home to care for them.^[46]^[47]^[18]^[12]

Atypical homeschools may even be found in single parent homes, also known as single parent homeschooling. According to the peer review journal Education Policy Analysis, based on the findings of the National Household Education Survey, of the National Center of Educational Statistics, as early as 1994, 11% of United States homeschools were being led by a single parent, and by 1999, 20.6% were so being led.^[48] However, this phenomenon seems to be flying under the radar as the movement does not seem to have significant advocacy from any national agency or organization and the statistics tracking single parent homeschools have currently not yet been posted on the websites of the DOE,^[49] the NHERI,^[50] or The Barna Group.^[51] There is online advocacy at The Single Parent Home School Website.^[52] The website is sponsored by Morningstar Educational Network.

According to United States Department of Education report NCES 2003-42, "Homeschooling in the United States: 2003",^[12] there was an increase in homeschooled students in the U.S. from 850,000 students in 1999 (1.7 percent of the total student population) to 1.1 million students in 2003 (2.2 percent of the total student population).

According to an unsourced National Home Education Research Institute statement, an estimated 1.9 to 2.4 million children were home educated during 2005–2006.^[53]

During this time, homeschooling rates increased among students whose parents have high school or lower education, 1.6 to 2.4 percent among student in grades 6–8; and 0.7 to 1.4 percent among students with only one parent.

As in 1999, rates were highest in families with three or more children (3.1 percent), and higher in families with two children (1.5 percent) than only one child (1.4 percent). There were more homeschool students from families with two parents (2.5 percent) than only one parent (1.5 percent), and students from two parent families where only one parent worked were more than twice as likely to be homeschooled (5.6 percent).

According to a 2000–2001 Barna survey,^[54]^[55] home school parents are 39 percent less likely to be college graduates, 21 percent more likely to be married, 28 percent less likely to have experienced a divorce, and that the household income is 10% below the national average. Barna found that homeschoolers in the U.S. live predominantly in the Mid-Atlantic, the South-Atlantic, and the Pacific states. It found that homeschoolers are almost twice as likely to be evangelical as the national average (15 percent vs 8 percent), and that 91 percent describe themselves as Christian, although only 49 percent can be classified as "born again Christians." It found they were five times more likely to describe themselves as "mostly conservative" on political matters than as "mostly liberal," although only about 37 percent chose "mostly conservative", and were "notably" more likely than the national average to have a high view of the Bible and hold orthodox Christian beliefs.

Distribution of Home School Students and Students Nationally Classified by Parent Academic Attainment: 1999, Education Policy Analysis Archives.^[56]
	Did not finish high school	High school graduate only	Some college, no degree	Associate degree	Bachelors degree	Masters degree	Doctorate
Home school fathers	1.2%	9.3%	16.4%	6.9%	37.6%	19.8%	8.8%
Males nationally	18.1	32.0	19.5	6.4	15.6	5.4	3.1
Home school mothers	0.5	11.3	21.8	9.7	47.2	8.8	0.7
Females nationally	17.2	34.2	20.2	7.7	14.8	4.5	1.3

In contrast, Lawrence Rudner's (University of Maryland) 1998 study shows that homeschool parents have a higher income than average (1.4 times by one estimate),^[47] and are more likely to have an advanced education. Rudner found that homeschooling parents tend to have more formal education than parents in the general population; that the median income for homeschooling families ($52,000) is significantly higher than that of all families with children in the United States ($36,000); that 98% of homeschooled children live in "married couple families"; that 77% of home school mothers do not participate in the labour force, whereas 98% of homeschooling fathers do participate in the labour force; and that median annual expenses for educational materials are approximately $400 per home school student.^[57]

By 2001, according to the Canadian based Fraser Institute, Muslim Americans were the fastest growing subgroup in the American homeschool movement, and were predicted to double in number every year for the following eight years after.^[58]

A 2001 study by Dr. Clive Belfield states that the average homeschooling parent is a woman with a college degree. Belfield estimates annual homeschooling costs to be approximately $2,500 per child^[59]

Supportive research

Test results

Figure 2. Home School Students Compared to the National Norm Group in Grade Equivalent Units, Scholastic Achievement and Demographic Characteristics of Home School Students in 1998, Lawrence M. Rudner, University of Maryland, College Park. From Education Policy Analysis Archives

Figure 1. Academic Achievement of Home School, Catholic/Private and the Nation's Students, Scholastic Achievement and Demographic Characteristics of Home School Students in 1998, Lawrence M. Rudner, University of Maryland, College Park. From Education Policy Analysis Archives

Numerous studies have found that homeschooled students on average outperform their peers on standardized tests.^[60]^[61] Home Schooling Achievement, a study conducted by National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI), supported the academic integrity of homeschooling. Among the homeschooled students who took the tests, the average homeschooled student outperformed his public school peers by 30 to 37 percentile points across all subjects. The study also indicates that public school performance gaps between minorities and genders were virtually non-existent among the homeschooled students who took the tests.^[62]

New evidence has been found that home schooled children are learning more and are getting higher scores on the ACT and SAT tests. A study at Wheaton College in Illinois showed that the freshmen that were home schooled for high school scored fifty-eight points higher on their SAT scores than those of kids that went to a normal school. Most colleges look at the ACT and SAT scores of home schooled children when considering them for acceptance to a college. On average, home schooled children scores eighty-one points higher than the national average on the SAT scores.

Social research

In the 1970s Raymond S. and Dorothy N. Moore conducted four federally funded analyses of more than 8,000 early childhood studies, from which they published their original findings in Better Late Than Early, 1975. This was followed by School Can Wait, a repackaging of these same findings designed specifically for educational professionals.^[63] Their analysis concluded that, "where possible, children should be withheld from formal schooling until at least ages eight to ten."

Their reason was that children, "are not mature enough for formal school programs until their senses, coordination, neurological development and cognition are ready." They concluded that the outcome of forcing children into formal schooling is a sequence of "1) uncertainty as the child leaves the family nest early for a less secure environment, 2) puzzlement at the new pressures and restrictions of the classroom, 3) frustration because unready learning tools – senses, cognition, brain hemispheres, coordination – cannot handle the regimentation of formal lessons and the pressures they bring, 4) hyperactivity growing out of nerves and jitter, from frustration, 5) failure which quite naturally flows from the four experiences above, and 6) delinquency which is failure’s twin and apparently for the same reason."^[64] According to the Moores, "early formal schooling is burning out our children. Teachers who attempt to cope with these youngsters also are burning out."^[64] Aside from academic performance, they think early formal schooling also destroys "positive sociability", encourages peer dependence, and discourages self worth, optimism, respect for parents, and trust in peers. They believe this situation is particularly acute for boys because of their delay in maturity. The Moore's cited a Smithsonian Report on the development of genius, indicating a requirement for "1) much time spent with warm, responsive parents and other adults, 2) very little time spent with peers, and 3) a great deal of free exploration under parental guidance."^[64] Their analysis suggested that children need "more of home and less of formal school" "more free exploration with... parents, and fewer limits of classroom and books," and "more old fashioned chores – children working with parents – and less attention to rivalry sports and amusements."^[64]

John Taylor later found, using the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale, "while half of the conventionally schooled children scored at or below the 50th percentile (in self-concept), only 10.3% of the home-schooling children did so."^[65] He further stated that "the self-concept of home-schooling children is significantly higher (and very much so statistically) than that of children attending the conventional school. This has implications in the areas of academic achievement and socialization, to mention only two. These areas have been found to parallel self-concept. Regarding socialization, Taylor's results would mean that very few home-schooling children are socially deprived. He claims that critics who speak out against home schooling on the basis of social deprivation are actually addressing an area which favors home schoolers.^[65]

In 2003, the National Home Education Research Institute conducted a survey of 7,300 U.S. adults who had been homeschooled (5,000 for more than seven years). Their findings included:

Homeschool graduates are active and involved in their communities. 71% participate in an ongoing community service activity, like coaching a sports team, volunteering at a school, or working with a church or neighborhood association, compared with 37% of U.S. adults of similar ages from a traditional education background.

Homeschool graduates are more involved in civic affairs and vote in much higher percentages than their peers. 76% of those surveyed between the ages of 18 and 24 voted within the last five years, compared with only 29% of the corresponding U.S. populace. The numbers are even greater in older age groups, with voting levels not falling below 95%, compared with a high of 53% for the corresponding U.S. populace.

58.9% report that they are "very happy" with life, compared with 27.6% for the general U.S. population. 73.2% find life "exciting", compared with 47.3%.^[66]

Notable homeschooled individuals

Numerous historical and current public figures were home-educated.^[3]^[67]^[68] Some examples include:

Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865) the 16th President of the United States, received very little schooling, but was an avid reader and taught himself how to read, write, and do arithmetic.^[67]^[69]

Andrew Wyeth (1917), an American realist painter, was taken out of school at young age because of illness, he then received education on art and other subjects from his parents.^[70]^[67]
Bode Miller (1977), an American alpine skier, was homeschooled by his parents until he was ten.^[71]
Che Guevara (1928), left-wing guerrilla leader in Cuba, Africa, and Bolivia, and prison commandant and national bank president in Cuba, born in Argentina, was educated at home, mainly by his mother, until the age of 13.^[72]
Ernst Mach, Austria, Physicist. Homeschooled until highschool by his parents.^[73]
Erwin Schrödinger, Austria, Nobel Prize-winning physicist. Homeschooled until age 10^[74]
Elizabeth II (1926), the queen of the United Kingdom, received early education at home, later she attended lessons in constitutional history at Eton College.^[75]
George Washington, United States, First United States President^[67]
Rosa Parks, United States, civil rights activist, homeschooled until age 11^[76]
Sho Yano, United States, child prodigy
Susan La Flesche Picotte, United States, first American Indian woman physician
Thomas Edison (1847–1931) an American inventor and businessman, was taught reading, writing and arithmetic by his mother. Before that he left school after only three months, as he had trouble following the lessons. Most of his other education he received from reading books on his own.^[77]
Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924) the 28th President of the United States, was home educated by his father because of the Civil War. When he was nineteen he entered Princeton University.^[67]
Tim Tebow (b. 1987), American football player for the University of Florida
Francis S. Collins (b. 1950), American physician-geneticist, noted for his landmark discoveries of disease genes, and his leadership of the Human Genome Project (HGP). Home schooled by his mother until the sixth grade.^[78]

Philosophical and political opposition

Opposition to homeschooling comes from many sources, including some organizations of teachers and school districts. The National Education Association, a United States professional association and union representing teachers, opposes homeschooling.^[79]^[80]

Opponents of homeschooling state several categories of concerns relating to homeschooling or its potential effects on society:

Inadequate standards of academic quality and comprehensiveness;
Reduced funding for public schools;
Lack of socialization with peers of different ethnic and religious backgrounds;
The potential for development of religious or social extremism;
Children sheltered from mainstream society, or denied opportunities that are their right, such as social development;
Potential for development of parallel societies that do not fit into standards of citizenship and the community.

For example political scientist Rob Reich wrote in The Civic Perils of Homeschooling (2002) that homeschooling can potentially give students a one-sided point of view, as their parents may, even unwittingly, block or diminish all points of view but their own in teaching. He also argues that homeschooling, by reducing students' contact with peers, reduces their sense of civic engagement with their community.^[81]

Gallup polls of American voters have shown a significant change in attitude in the last twenty years, from 73% opposed to home education in 1985 to 54% opposed in 2001.^[82]

Criticism of supportive achievement studies

Although there are some studies that show that homeschooled students can do well on standardized tests,^[83] some of these studies compare voluntary homeschool testing with mandatory public-school testing. Homeschooled students in the United States are not subject to the testing requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act.^[84] Some U.S. states require mandatory testing for homeschooled students, but others do not. Some states that require testing allow homeschooling parents to choose which test to use.^[85] When testing is not required, homeschoolees taking the tests are self-selected, which biases any statistical results^[86]

Greater costs

Homeschooling families usually have to absorb the total costs of their child's education.^[87] These costs can go higher if the factor of excluding one parent from labor force is taken into account.^[88]^[12]

Controversy over potential for unmonitored child abuse

A Washington, D.C. mother who had withdrawn her four children from public school has been charged with their murder. It has been claimed that the homeschooling exemption in the District of Columbia allowed the abuse of the children to occur undetected.^[89] However, a lapse in the DC child-welfare system also received blame, and six child-welfare workers were fired as a result.^[90] Increased regulation of homeschooling in DC has been enacted in response to these events.^[91]

History of Homeschooling

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Pembelajaran Kini-For much of history and in many cultures, enlisting professional teachers (whether as tutors or in a formal academic setting) was an option available only to a small elite. Thus, until relatively recently, the vast majority of people were educated by parents (especially during early childhood)^[3] and in the context of a specific type labor that they would pursue in adult life, such as working in the fields or learning a trade.

The earliest compulsory education in the West began in the late 17th century and early 18th century in the German states of Gotha, Calemberg and, particularly, Prussia.^[5] However, even in the 18th century, the vast majority of people in Europe lacked formal schooling, which means they were homeschooled or received no education at all.^[6] Formal schooling in a classroom setting has been the most common means of schooling throughout the world, especially in developed countries, since the early and mid 19th century.

In 1964, John Caldwell Holt, published a book entitled How Children Fail which criticized traditional schools. The book was based on a theory he had developed as a teacher – that the academic failure of schoolchildren was caused by pressure placed on children in schools. Holt began making appearances on major TV talk shows and writing book reviews for Life magazine.^[7] In his follow-up work, How Children Learn, 1967, he tried to demonstrate the learning process of children and why he believed school short circuits this process.

During this time, the American educational professionals Raymond and Dorothy Moore began to research the academic validity of the rapidly growing Early Childhood Education movement. This research included independent studies by other researchers and a review of over 8,000 studies bearing on Early Childhood Education and the physical and mental development of children.

They asserted that formal schooling before ages 8–12 not only lacked the anticipated effectiveness, but was actually harmful to children. The Moores began to publish their view that formal schooling was damaging young children academically, socially, mentally, and even physiologically. They presented evidence that childhood problems such as juvenile delinquency, nearsightedness, increased enrollment of students in special education classes, and behavioral problems were the result of increasingly earlier enrollment of students.^[8] The Moores cited studies demonstrating that orphans who were given surrogate mothers were measurably more intelligent, with superior long term effects – even though the mothers were mentally retarded teenagers – and that illiterate tribal mothers in Africa produced children who were socially and emotionally more advanced than typical western children, by western standards of measurement.^[8]

Their primary assertion was that the bonds and emotional development made at home with parents during these years produced critical long term results that were cut short by enrollment in schools, and could neither be replaced nor afterward corrected in an institutional setting.^[8] Recognizing a necessity for early out-of-home care for some children – particularly special needs and starkly impoverished children, and children from exceptionally inferior homes– they maintained that the vast majority of children are far better situated at home, even with mediocre parents, than with the most gifted and motivated teachers in a school setting (assuming that the child has a gifted and motivated teacher). They described the difference as follows: "This is like saying, if you can help a child by taking him off the cold street and housing him in a warm tent, then warm tents should be provided for all children – when obviously most children already have even more secure housing."^[9]

Similar to Holt, the Moores embraced homeschooling after the publication of their first work, Better Late Than Early, 1975, and went on to become important homeschool advocates and consultants with the publication of books like Home Grown Kids, 1981, Home School Burnout, and others.^[8]

In these books, Holt had not suggested any alternative to institutional schooling; he had hoped to initiate a profound rethinking of education to make schools friendlier toward children. As the years passed he became convinced that the way schools were was what society wanted, and that a serious re-examination was not going to happen in his lifetime.

The books by other authors questioning the premises and efficacy of compulsory schooling at the time included Deschooling Society by Ivan Illich, 1970, and No More Public School by Harold Bennet, 1972.

In 1976, he published Instead of Education; Ways to Help People Do Things Better. In its conclusion he called for a "Children's Underground Railroad" to help children escape compulsory schooling.^[7] In response, Holt was contacted by families from around the U.S. to tell him that they were educating their children at home. In 1977, after corresponding with a number of these families, Holt began producing a magazine dedicated to home education: Growing Without Schooling.^[10]

In 1980, Holt said, "I want to make it clear that I don’t see homeschooling as some kind of answer to badness of schools. I think that the home is the proper base for the exploration of the world which we call learning or education. Home would be the best base no matter how good the schools were."^[11]

Holt later wrote a book about homeschooling, Teach Your Own, in 1981.

One common theme in the homeschool philosophies of both Holt and the Moores is that home education should not be an attempt to bring the school construct into the home, or a view of education as an academic preliminary to life. They viewed it as a natural, experiential aspect of life that occurs as the members of the family are involved with one another in daily living.

Homeschoolers use a wide variety of methods and materials. There are different paradigms, or educational philosophies, that families adopt including unit studies, Classical education (including Trivium, Quadrivium), Charlotte Mason education, Montessori method, Theory of multiple intelligences, Unschooling, Waldorf education, School-at-home, A Thomas Jefferson Education, and many others. Some of these approaches, particularly unit studies, Montessori, and Waldorf, are also available in private or public school settings.

It is not uncommon for the student to experience more than one approach as the family discovers what works best for them. Most families do choose an eclectic (mixed) approach. For sources of curricula and books, "Homeschooling in the United States: 2003"^[12] found that 78 percent utilized "a public library"; 77 percent used "a homeschooling catalog, publisher, or individual specialist"; 68 percent used "retail bookstore or other store"; 60 percent used "an education publisher that was not affiliated with homeschooling." "Approximately half" used curriculum or books from "a homeschooling organization", 37 percent from a "church, synagogue or other religious institution" and 23 percent from "their local public school or district." 41 percent in 2003 utilized some sort of distance learning, approximately 20 percent by "television, video or radio"; 19 percent via "Internet, e-mail, or the World Wide Web"; and 15 percent taking a "correspondence course by mail designed specifically for homeschoolers."

Individual governmental units, e,g, states and local districts, vary in official curriculum and attendance requirements.^[13]

Unit studies

The unit study approach incorporates several subjects, such as art, history, math, science, geography and theology, around the context of one topical theme, like water, animals, American slavery, or ancient Rome.^[14] For example, a unit study of Native Americans could combine age-appropriate lessons in: social studies, how different tribes lived prior to colonization vs. today; art, making Native American clothing; history (of Native Americans in the U.S.); reading from a special reading list; and the science of plants used by Native Americans.

Unit studies are particularly helpful for teaching multiple grade levels simultaneously, as the topic can easily be adjusted (i.e. from an 8th grader detailing and labeling a spider’s anatomy to an elementary student drawing a picture of a spider on its web). As it is generally the case that in a given "homeschool" very few students are spread out among the grade levels, the unit study approach is an attractive option.

Unit study advocates assert that children retain 45% more information following this approach.^[14]

All-in-one curricula

"All-in-one" curricula, sometimes called a "school in a box", are comprehensive packages covering many subjects; usually an entire year's worth. They contain all needed books and materials, including pencils and writing paper. Most such curricula were developed for isolated families who lack access to public schools, libraries and shops.

Typically, these materials recreate the school environment in the home and are based on the same subject-area expectations as publicly run schools, allowing an easy transition into school. They are among the more expensive options, but are easy to use and require minimal preparation. The guides are usually extensive, with step-by-step instructions. These programs may include standardized tests and remote examinations to yield an accredited school diploma.

Student-paced learning

Similar to All-in-one curricula are learner-paced curriculum packages. These workbooks allow the student to progress at their own speed.

Online education

Online schools and educational resources can improve the quality of homeschooling and make it more accessible.^{[citation needed]} Online resources for homeschooling include courses of study, educational games, online tests, online tutoring, and occupational training. Online learning potentially allows students and families access to specialized teachers and materials and greater flexibility in scheduling. Parents can be with their children during online tutoring session. Finally, online tutoring is useful for students who are disabled or otherwise limited in their ability to travel.

Community resources

Homeschoolees often take advantage of educational opportunities at museums, community centers, athletic clubs, after-school programs, churches, science preserves, parks, and other community resources. Secondary school level students may take classes at community colleges, which typically have open admission policies.

Groups of homeschooling families often join together to create Homeschool co-ops. These groups typically meet once a week and provide a classroom environment. These are family-centered support groups whose members seek to pool their talents and resources in a collective effort to broaden the scope of their children's education. They provide a classroom environment where students can do hands-on and group learning such as performing, science experiments, art projects, foreign language study, spelling bees, discussions, etc. Parents whose children take classes serve in volunteer roles to keep costs low and make the program a success.

Certain states, such as Maine, have laws that permit homeschooling families to take advantage of public school resources. In such cases, children can be members of sports teams, be members of the school band, can take art classes, and utilize services such as speech therapy while maintaining their homeschooled lifestyle.

Unschooling and natural learning

Some people use the term "unschooling" to describe all methods of education that do not resemble schools.

“Natural learning” refers to a type of learning-on-demand where children pursue knowledge based on their interests and parents take an active part in facilitating activities and experiences conducive to learning but do not rely heavily on textbooks or spend much time “teaching”, looking instead for “learning moments” throughout their daily activities. Parents see their role as that of affirming through positive feedback and modeling the necessary skills, and the child’s role as being responsible for asking and learning.

The term "unschooling" as coined by John Holt describes an approach in which parents do not authoritatively direct the child's education, but interact with the child following the child's own interests, leaving them free to explore and learn as their interests lead.[12][13] "Unschooling" does not indicate that the child is not being educated, but that the child is not being "schooled", or educated in a rigid school-type manner. Holt asserted that children learn through the experiences of life, and he encouraged parents to live their lives with their child. Also known as interest-led or child-led learning, unschooling attempts to follow opportunities as they arise in real life, through which a child will learn without coercion. An unschooled child may utilize texts or classroom instruction, but these are not considered central to education. Holt asserted that there is no specific body of knowledge that is, or should be, required of a child.[14]

"Unschooling" should not be confused with "deschooling," which may be used to indicate an anti-"institutional school" philosophy, or a period or form of deprogramming for children or parents who have previously been schooled.

Both unschooling and natural learning advocates believe that children learn best by doing; a child may learn reading to further an interest about history or other cultures, or math skills by operating a small business or sharing in family finances. They may learn animal husbandry keeping dairy goats or meat rabbits, botany tending a kitchen garden, chemistry to understand the operation of firearms or the internal combustion engine, or politics and local history by following a zoning or historical-status dispute. While any type of homeschoolers may also use these methods, the unschooled child initiates these learning activities. The natural learner participates with parents and others in learning together.

Homeschooling

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Pembelajaran Kini-Homeschooling^[1]^[2] or homeschool (also called home education or home learning) is the education of children at home, typically by parents or professional tutors, rather than in a public or private school.

Although prior to the introduction of compulsory school attendance laws, most childhood education occurred within the family or community,^[3] homeschooling in the modern sense is an alternative in developed countries to formal education.

In many places homeschooling is a legal option for parents who wish to provide their children with a different learning environment than exists in nearby schools. The motivations for homeschooling range from a dissatisfaction with the schools in their area to the dissatisfaction of modern schools in general. It is also an alternative for families living in isolated rural locations and those who choose, for practical or personal reasons, not to have their children attend school.

Homeschooling may also refer to instruction in the home under the supervision of correspondence schools or umbrella schools. In some places, an approved curriculum is legally required if children are to be home-schooled.^[4] A curriculum-free philosophy of homeschooling may be called unschooling, a term coined in 1977 by American educator John Holt in his magazine Growing Without Schooling.

Child of Our Time: A Year-by-Year Study of Childhood Development

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pEMBELEJARAN kINI-In the year 2000, producers for the BBC began documenting the growth and development of 25 newborn children from a wide range of social, ethnic, and geographical backgrounds. This 13-part series shows viewers the results so far, capturing pivotal stages in each child’s learning process, manner of socialization, and physical development. Students of child psychology, early childhood education, and multicultural education will encounter detailed information and numerous case studies in these programs, while course instructors will find a wealth of material with which to launch lectures and discussions. A BBC/Open University Co-production. Original broadcast title: Child of Our Time. 13-part series, 60 minutes each.http://meridian.films.com/id/