Sunday, March 29, 2009

SISTER SCHOOL RELATIONSHIPS: Ciputat and Weeroona

Educational Working Guidelines for a Sister School Relationship between an Indonesian School and an Australian School by Herli Salim – Doctor Candidate, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia.
(Translated by courtesy of Ms Robyn Elmi, Weeroona, College,Bendigo, Melbourne)
Rationale:
Based on UU No. 20/2003 about the National Educational System, it states that it is desirable to get at least one school in an area through to an international standard. To strengthen the autonomy of a particular area, it states that schools in that area should focus on forming international relationships. (Legislation No. 32, 2004 about Governmental Regions). The National Education Minister’s Decision No. 30/2007 about national educational standards directs schools towards attaining international standards. In the meantime, the BNSP (The Body for National Educational Standards) was formed to push efforts to increase the quality of national schools so that they are equal with the international world and consequently their graduates will be of a high quality. The establishment of Banten Province was also an educational requirement as a bridge to aim towards improving the prosperity of the Banten people. (UU No. 23 tahun 2000). All of this legislation aims to stimulate a quick growth in the quality of education through to both national and international standards.
The initiative for Indonesian and Australian Schools to work together was highly recommended by OECD countries and UNICEF. Both world organisations recognize the mutual benefits of countries working together cooperatively and the results of these interactions will create educational networks which will facilitate the mutual exchange of curriculum and other educational opportunities for teachers and students.
Now is the time to create a cooperative educational work environment between Indonesia and Australia. These efforts are gathering momentum because of the efforts of Dr. H. Herli Salim, M. Ed., lecturer at Indonesian Education University, Serang Campus and student in the Doctoral Program at Deakin University which is held in Australia to advance his studies. He works together with his colleague and Australian friend Dr. Peter Waterworth, special educational consultant and social education. The city and regency of Serang have long known Dr. Waterworth as a speaker at several educational seminars.
In the meantime, in relation to the Australian workforce, the Australian Prime Minister, Mr Kevin Rudd, said that it is important that the Australian people return to the close relationship they had with their neighbouring countries and that the Australian people should study Asian languages, including Indonesian. Now, in public Australian schools, there is a strong desire to learn Indonesian. Because of this renewed interest in learning Indonesian, there is a growing interest between Weeroona College Bendigo and SMA Negeri Ciputat 2, Tangerang to work together. It is fortunate that the desire to work together has coincided: SMA Negeri Ciputat 2 will get the opportunity to develop to an international standard and its students will have the opportunity to study English; whilst Weeroona College Bendigo students will be able to improve their Indonesian. If this pioneering effort at working together between the two schools is established, then this cooperative model can be established more broadly.
We should consider this issue of sister schools working together and these relationships should be carefully maintained and nurtured as they gain momentum. It is important that they continue to provide quality working relationships and that the benefits are shared equally by both sides.
FORM:
Working together with SMA Negeri Ciputat 2, Tangerang and Weeroona College Bendigo will involve both schools always making the effort and taking care to ensure the relationship continues to grow and develop. The possibility of working together educationally will take the following form:
1.Student exchange: The students will have the opportunity to be involved in home stays and shadowing with their peers. Students from Ciputat 2 will be able to study English, Information Technology and Technology and Weeroona students will be able to study Indonesian, local Art and traditional dance at Ciputat.
2.Staff exchange: Nepal staff will have the opportunity to study educational administration at Weeroona to optimise and modernise their management skills and support their information technology skills.
3.Principal exchange: Principals can work together to exchange ideas to develop agendas to work together and discuss the development of educational management which is based on the internet, building educational projects together which are funded by world bodies or each country.
METHOD OF WORKING:
1.Ciputat 2 will always create ways correspond with Weeroona College. Firstly, Ciputat 2 will begin corresponding between principal, teachers with teachers, staff with staff and students with students.
2.Ciputat 2 will always need to create routine contact to ensure we are following the same agenda both in Australia and in Indonesia.
3.Ciputat 2 proposed the production of a web site together and its contents will be contributed to by both sides. For steps to begin, both sides need to send emails and letters via post to discuss the types of activities that could be undertaken.
4.Ciputat 2 will make a Memorandum of Agreement (MOU) with Weeroona College. The contents of this MOU will form the basis of the educational partnership between the two schools and will be the starting point of serious and intensive discussions between the two schools.
5.Ciputat 2 will carry out a visit to Weeroona College Bendigo to see the potential to work together and formalise the relationship, that is, by the signing of the MOU to hold a sister school relationship.
6.Ciputat 2 would like to begin organising formal permission with the Weeroona and Ciputat parents so that the students can experience homestay accommodation.
7.Ciputat 2 and Weeroona would like to exchange educational resources to help with the teaching of the curriculum. This could be in the form of good quality second hand material such as books, comics, CDs, films, newspapers, novels, DVDs, etc.


CONCLUSION
It is the responsibility of the mediator to help develop good communication between the two schools. A committee will need to be formed and once established, a strong effort on both sides will be required to maintain the momentum and ensure a strong relationship continues to develop and is maintained (HS, 2009).

Friday, March 27, 2009

era baru SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat

Saya mungkin bisa dikatakan sebagai saksi sejarah dalam perkembangan SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat sampai sekarang ini. Walaupun masih digolongkan 'hijau', saya sudah mengalami empat masa kepemimpinan kepala SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat.
Pertama saya datang, yaitu tahun Juli 1998, SMA negeri 2 Ciputat baru memiliki 12 lokal dan siswa masih harus berbagi waktu sekolah pagi dan sore hari. Sekarang SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat telah memiliki 27 kelas, ditambah beberapa lab dan sebuahperpustakaan. Semua siswa bisa mengikuti rombongan belajar bersamaan, yaitu di pagi hari. Perkembangan terus menerus dilakukan, baik fisik maupun akademik, walaupun di sana-sini masih banyak kekurangan.
Pada era Pak Dedi ini, SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat ditantang untuk mengikuti kemajuan jaman dengan drastis. Program yang sangat jelas berbeda di Tangsel ini yaitu, 5 hari aktif, upacara hanya setiap tanggal 17, RSBI, menuju ISO Manajemen Mutu, dan program-program lainnya. Perlu dicatat, Pak Dedi belum lagi memulai 'debut' APBS nya. Tapi sekarang kita bisa melihat mobil sekolah dengan logo tercinta kita terpampang di pintu mobil tersebut. Taman yang sementara ini dipagar mulai terlihat menghiasi, taman yang lama, tapi terdiri lebih banyak pohon. Jalan kumuh menuju wc kelas kapel di belakang kantor kelurahan diperbaiki menjadi sebuah taman.
Saya terus terang senang dengan arah perkembangan SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat, sambil berharap bahwa itu semua baru awal gebrakan pak Dedi. Saya menunggu gebrakan selanjutnya, dari pimpinan baru saya ini.
Pak Dedi berharap SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat membuat jalinan dengan sekolah dari negara lain sebagai 'sister school'. Ini benar-benar gebrakan yang fantastis, dan saya sangat mendukung, banyak harapan yang sudah ada di benak saya. Membaca laporan dari pak Herli, dan setelah bertemu langsung Sore tadi, saya sangat berharap SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat terbang lebih tinggi lagi. Sister school adalah sebuah jalan atau strategi yang jitu membawa perubahan. Beberapa alasan bagi saya adalah:

1. terjadi hubungan yang saling menguntungkan bagi kedua pihak

Kerjasama tersebut bisa meningkatkan kemampuan siswa, tenaga kependidikan, dan leadership di SMA negeri 2 Ciputat. Ethos kerja dari bangsa Australia bisa kita adopsi, sehingga kita bisa meningkatkan kemampuan keahlian dalam mengelola lembaga pendidikan serta manajerial yang lebih baik, yang akan menghasilkan peserta didik bermutu lebih baik juga. Bagi pihak Weeroona, mereka bisa menjadikan kita sebagai pembanding atau, studi kasus dalam mengelola pendidikan dengan peserta didik yang berasal dari Asia, karena kita juga manifestasi dari Asia.
Selain itu, kerjasama ini akan membuka mata tantang kultur kedua pihak, dan akan memperkaya khasanah budaya masing-masing.

2. terjadi tukar menukar pengetahuan dalam berbagai bidang, terutama bidang pendidikan

Dalam hal pengajaran di kelas, terutama bahasa Inggris bagi siswa di Indonesia, SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat bisa mendapat wawasan baru tentang cara mengajar bahasa Inggris yang baik. Hal itu juga terjadi sebaliknya bagi pihak Weeroona dalam pengajaran bahasa Indonesia. Pertukaran pengetahuan pengajaran bahasa Indonesia dan Inggris adalah awal yang bisa berkembang pada mata pelajaran lain. Selain itu terdapat beberapa mata pelajaran yang berbeda di kedua sekolah yang bisa dipelajari untuk dipraktekkan di sekolah lainnya.

3. terjadi keadaan saling menghargai sebagai bangsa yang berdaulat dengan tali persahabatan

Persahabatan tidak perlu melihat warna kulit atau bendera, agama maupun afiliasi politik. Persahabatan tidak mengenal kontinen, dan itu akan lebih baik dari pada permusuhan. "Musuh pun kalau dirangkul tidak mungkin mendorong". Persaudaraan sekolah ini saya bayangkan menjadi saudara yang saling berbagi, dan lebih banyak pada sisi perkembangan kemanusiaan bukan politik.

4. terbukanya wawasan kedua pihak tentang negara tetangga yang lebih obyektif

kedua pihak dapat saling berhubungan dengan korespondensi atau berbicara langsung menggunakan teknologi komunikasi terkini yang tidak terbatas, sehingga masing-masing dapat menilai kondisi sister school di seberang dengan obyektif.

Demikianlah kesan saya terhadap program 'sister school' SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat dan Weeroona College mengingat SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat adalah sekolah yang masih muda dan kecil.
Saya sangat menyambut baik program ini dan sangat menghargai upaya pihak-pihak terkait, terutama Pak Herli. Pak Herli bahkan menyempatkan diri datang ke SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat di sela-sela kesibukannya di tanah air untuk meyakinkan panitia tentang realisasi program ini

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Delegation from Weeroona College





Educational Friendships and Links:
SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat, Tangerang, and Weeroona College, Melbourne, Australia.




Weeroona College Bendigo Melbourne will send 2 teachers to visit SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat from 6 April – 14 April 2009. The teachers’ name is Ms. Robyn Elmi who teaches Indonesian language, and Ms Andrea Jones who teaches arts. Ms. Robyn Elmi will help SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat Tangerang to learn English. During her visit to SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat, she will share her knowledge with SMA Negeri 2 Ciputats’ students. She will present a conference in learning English. Other Weeroona College teacher is Ms. Andrea Jones. She will teach SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat’s students arts as a media for learning, during her visit here. She recently starts learning Indonesian Gamelan music. She likes traditional music and if it is possible she intends to learn more about Gamelan music when she visits SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat Tangerang. This educational activities is for initiating and strengthening friendships through school to school contact. Pak Dedi Rafidi, the school principal of SMA Negeri 2 Tangerang has long history contact with Weeroona College. It started when he led at previous school, however, he wants to keep contact with Weeroona College, thus, when he moved to SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat Tangerang. He tries his best effort to link Weeroona with SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat. In the future, may SMA Negeri 2 Ciputat be able to visit Weeroona to forge link and to create mutual benefit for both schools. In return, we hope this educational friendships and links will help understand and build good neighbouring friendships either for Indonesian and Australian (HS, 2009)

Computer Forensics