IB Asia Pacific Newsletter

April - June 2006

Projects

The IB community came together with others in an overwhelming show of support for the tsunami-affected schools of the region. Sensing the opportunity to go beyond mere charity, the IB (under Peter Kenny at the time) developed the Schools to Schools concept—a vast network of “direct” partnerships between schools or groups of schools that would be supported by STS country coordinators and the IB Projects Manager.

With its international outlook, and emphasis on understanding, caring and interconnection, the IB was particularly well placed to act decisively to set up meaningful, long-term links with the schools devastated by the disaster. Schools to Schools was all about giving schools support in making those links.

Peter Kenny, Karu Gamage, and the whole projects team worked very hard to set up partnerships in Sri Lanka and Indonesia. Laurie McLellan and the OSC community were instrumental in facilitating action in the country. Direct links between school communities were initiated, material assistance passed on, school visits facilitated, and teacher training workshops organized and run. In addition, many other schools did so largely on their own initiative. In all cases, the communities themselves were involved at the very beginning in assessing the best way their partners could help them back on their feet. It’s been a tough sixteen months given the scale of the devastation, but gradually these partnerships are developing into solid, meaningful friendships. Others just need a little more support to really get underway. If your school partnership still needs a bit of a push to come to life, don’t despair—that’s what the STS team will be busy doing over the next few months in communication with you! And if your school already has a project going, we encourage you to let us know about it, as we have a lot to learn from each other. Together, we can make an even bigger difference!

The tsunami might already be “old news” for much of the world accustomed as it is to focusing on the most recent disaster (New Orleans, Pakistan, etc.), but the countries hit on 26 December, 2004 are still very much in need of the type of partnerships and teacher training that IB Projects was intended for. The rebuilding may be well underway, the rubble may be mostly cleared, but generally many schools in Sri Lanka, Indonesia and elsewhere are still badly in need of books, equipment, funds to re-do their fields, desks and chairs, texts, as well as teacher training. The principals and communities know what they need, but often their rebuilding contracts do not extend to things beyond the basic infrastructure. You would probably agree with us that this gradual work, though perhaps not as grand in visual terms, is every bit as essential as the reconstruction of the buildings. After all, school is what happens inside the building.

As concerned school communities, Schools to Schools offers our partner schools a helping hand, friendship, and the means to support them in setting their own goals. We work with the communities to plan for the future. It is necessary to echo here, Peter Kenny’s insistence on the electrifying effect school visits of some sort have on both communities, but even if your school’s teachers or students are not able to visit your partner in the immediate future, you can still have a meaningful link with your partner school. Schools to Schools is able to coordinate your partnership, whether it be class-to-class letter translation, photo swapping, a teacher visit, or the planning/sending of material assistance.

Glynn Richards spent two weeks travelling throughout the south of Sri Lanka with Karu Gamage, figuring out logistics and setting up sub-coordinators for the different regions. Next month, he will be doing the same for Indonesia. The common aim of all staff involved in the STS Projects is to make all current and new STS partnerships transparent, successful, more responsive, and personalized. So if you are one of the schools that already has a partnership (or you would like to set one up), please contact us at projects@ibo.org or +65 6775-2356 with any questions you may have.

It should be pointed out also that Schools to Schools is not only about tsunami-affected schools. STS partners are also involved in supporting the schools participating in the Cambodia teacher training project, teacher training in Cambodia, and the programme is investigating expansion into India and the Philippines. The goal is to use the impetus of the tsunami tragedy to build a broad front of schools working together with schools in need all over Asia (and beyond!). Needless to say, the tsunami only highlighted the plight of schools in Asia—many countries have been in need of concerned partners for a long time…. This is our chance to come together, marshal our tremendous human resources, and give communities much needed solidarity.

In order to pull together all our varied work, we will soon be getting the website www.schoolstoschools.org off the ground. This will be a place for schools (students, teachers, parents, and administrators) to show its work for STS. Each school will get its own section that can be as involved as the students choose to make it. The aim again is to empower—first our own students, and later the students on the “other end” as they too come online and see themselves reflected in these partnerships (and also get their own sections). This is sure to be a very exciting way for us all to “meet” and share our experience, hardships, successes, and goals. It will also be a way to inspire others to act—an important aspect of our activity. Please look out for our email on how to prepare and upload your information onto your school’s section. Your students are bound to grab it with both hands.

The IB is all about putting our values into action. Schools to Schools is one very real way the IB can help you take the core values of the IB and transform them into real benefits for others outside our schools. We help give these communities the support they need. We help them feel connected through real letters and photos (and visits when possible!). And we ask them to be our partners in decision-making.

This is not charity. It is collaborative action—long term, community driven, and empowering. For those of you already in Schools to Schools, we look forward to helping your school to develop your partnerships. For those of you not yet in the programme, please consider being a part of it—we’d love to work with you! Contact projects@ibo.org

Sincere thanks to the students and staff of Ghandi Memorial School in Jakarta for their ongoing fund raising efforts to support teach training programmes in Aceh. As Indonesia was hit by yet another natural disaster this weekend, our thoughts are with the people of Central Java.

Glynn Richards, Projects Manager
Han Nguyen, Projects Assistant
Email: projects@ibo.org

Update from Kate Fuller:

I reported last month, I have had a great deal of interest and feedback from schools around the world wanting to participate in the STS project in Aceh. Although some of these schools sadly are unable to visit Indonesia due to the travel warnings that have been issued recently, this has not stopped them contacting me, or their schools, to offer assistance and make a connection. One school in particular-Haut Lac in Switzerland, has been establishing relations with their partner school via sms, email, photos and the school newsletters and is planning a trip over in the coming months thanks to their coordinator Jean-Luc. Although the tsunami may be off the front pages, struggles continue on the ground and many schools lack the basic facilities to allow them to operate. Moreover, any form of contact with another school or through students writing letters can assist them-even if just to give reassurance that someone cares about their wellbeing and their situation. The rewards are so great for everyone involved. Whilst visiting the partner school is an integral element of the STS program, it can function independently of it.

Unfortunately my visit to Aceh last month was cut short thanks to a nasty bout of dengue fever! I did manage, however, a brief trip to visit partner schools and to touch base and give updates with Principals, discuss the progress of STS as well as to source information and photos for respective partners.

I was also able to source new schools in need of assistance and conduct meetings with FBA, Unicef and BRR regarding upcoming scholarship programs this year. If any school is interested in running these scholarships please do not hesitate to contact me. It is a wonderful way to assist and enhance both school communities.

We also have some fantastic news, thanks to the assistance of Ben Waymire and his colleagues at Trinity College. They have agreed to sponsor sending Azimah to Australia through the Foundation Studies Program. She will commence this in August of this year once she has reached the required English level needed. This will be an incredible opportunity for her to spend a year in Melbourne preparing for her nursing course and experiencing life in Australia. We are very grateful to everyone who has been involved and assisted with this project!

This month also witnessed two extremely important occasions.  I was very privileged to be able to host Monique Seefried’s visit to Jakarta. Monique is the President of the IB Council of Foundation and is a long serving and highly respected member of the IB community. We were fortunate to be able to visit Global Jaya and meet with the Principal Mr Ken Cock, as well as the Primary Principal Ms Kathryn Young, and the Secondary Principal Mr Richard Henry, in order to discuss the success of SGJ as an IB World School, the commitments they have to the STS project through sending their volunteers Mida and Juni to regularly run workshops and assist with teacher training, as well as their involvement in the SQIP program with the Sampoerna Foundation. Richard and I also explained the hub of schools that we have been meeting with recently at DEPDIKNAS and the Curriculum Centre in Jakarta, in the hope of getting the IB Diploma Program recognized in Indonesia in conjunction with the National Examinations.

Monique and I then visited BIS, a short distance from SGJ, where we were welcomed by a delightful group of Diploma Students who gave us a fantastic tour of the school grounds, facilities and departments. We visited the Art Exhibition and then had lunch with all the Year 12 students and discussed how the IB has impacted their study, their lives and their career decisions. Both Monique and I were impressed with not only the maturity the students displayed, but also with their genuine respect for their peers and teachers.

The second important event took place the next day when I went back to Global Jaya for the presentation of the School Quality Improvement Program (SQIP) plaque to Pak Ken. This is both a historic and monumental occasion-SGJ will be supporting SMAN2 Balikpapan and will be assisting them to become a model school for the province of West Kalimantan. Both schools will be benefiting from the relationships that have and are continuing to be established by students, teachers, Principals and the community. Eventually we hope to have model schools set up throughout Indonesia in each of the thirty-three provinces and each will have the support of an IB World School. Later this month  Kevin McRae the coordinator of this program and Ibu Popy will visit their partner school in Balikpapan to meet with staff, students and the community and to run an in-service workshop for all the teachers. We will also be running demonstration lessons and working with the teachers to assist them in their lesson planning. Students from Global Jaya have already formed a SQIP committee and will be working together to connect with their peers at SMAN2 and to set up projects to assist the school as per their CAS programs. Further to this, a group of junior students in Annie Gallagher’s class have raised funds through their ECO wildlife project to support the school. It’s just fantastic to see so many of the school community involved in this worthwhile program. I would like to express my sincere thanks to SGJ and to all who have assisted. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Gandhi Memorial School, Bali International School, Bandung International School and UWC Singapore for their interest, support and commitment to the SQIP Program. 

I am currently in Australia and taking the opportunity to source more partner schools here in Adelaide (after a few much needed days off visiting family and friends!) Next week I travel to Singapore to work in the office there and to spend time with Glynn and plan his first trip to Jakarta and Aceh. I am looking forward to sharing with him the work we are doing in Indonesia and congratulate him on his new role.

I look forward to seeing you in Jakarta, Aceh, Singapore or Australia very soon.