Asia+Existing+Efforts

We had compile several different schools in Indonesia. Please our blogs below 1.Dhe-dhe- dhepyon.wordpress.com dhe-dhe@hotmail.com 2.Dhafin d-care4world.blogspot.com uhutan@hotmail.com 3.Ganang edu-pdr.blogspot.com gng_septaviori@yahoo.com 4.Eka edforall.co.nr cerberus_attack@hotmail.com 5.Wafina educationpdr.blogspot.com wafinamario@ymail.com 6.Pia fariraeducation.blogspot.com farrrrira@hotmail.com 7.Amanda aforamandaspdr.blogspot.com hello.amanda.amalia@hotmail.com 8.Pingkan pgknspdr89.blogspot.com pgkn.kecebur@yahoo.com The education quality in Indonesia is not good enough. Not all children are going to school or getting education. That is the main problem. Education qualities in some schools are good. Like in national plus and some other schools. The students also like the education. The teachers also agree with the process. And students can learn a lot from the education process. And education should be free because everybody has the right to have education. And the main problem why people don’t go to school is their poor economic condition. But until recently the government didn’t make any free schools. Another problem is that the Indonesian government does not use compulsory education. The education here is more like a recommendation or persuasion. In compulsory education everybody must have education and go to school. The second characteristic is that there is a law that tells people to go to school. The third is about the fine that parents and guardians get if they don’t send their child to school. In Indonesia the government just tells people to get education. And there is no fine for parents or guardians that doesn’t put their child in schools. The third reason for the bad quality is that the law does not tell people that they must have education. For additional information check this website [] Our solution is for the government to make some sort of law, not just recommendations. And the government must be strict about the law. To make people know about this we should make an e-mail campaign or something many people can know. Renata kariki, High/Scope Indonesia
 * Indonesian Education Quality **

 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background As we know, education is the most important thing in someone’s life. We can’t live without education because education is everything. Education can teach us how to live our life wisely. As we know also, not all people can get education, only several people can get education. The factors that make people couldn’t get education can be found everywhere, but the main factor is economy. Economical factor is the main factor that is contributed in this case. People that have weak economical bacground will be harder to get education because nowadays, education is not free. Even if the government says that there is a free education program for the poor people, but they still need to buy the uniform and the books by themselves. They need uniform and books to study in their school. If they don’t have anough money, they won’t be able to buy the books and the uniform and finally, they can’t go to school and they can’t get education. Governement have many ideas about making a totally free schools for the poor peoples, but most of those school’s owners are made the school by themselves without governement’s helps. People have initiative to make a free schools to make sure that all people can get education without any exceptions. Basically, that opportunity is one of the ministry of education and also the responsibility of the government. This project is made because this group wanted to make an education access for all and to make sure that all people can get an education without any exceptions. This project also have contribution from 2 other schools from USA. This group will have a discussion about the education access for all via NAIS.org named challange 20/20 program. Challange 20/20 means 20 global problems, 20 years to solve them. One of those global problems is about the education access and taht is the main topic for PDR in this term.

1.2 Problem The topic for PDR in this term is about education access for all. To understand the topic, we must do some reseraches and observations to make sure that our plan is the most effective plan that we can get to make an education access for all. We’ll have a community work to some schools such as Sekolah Alam and Mitra Netra or school for blind people. We will do some observations in those schools to find out which school fits in the education condition in Indonesia nowadays, so there will be an education access for all.

1.3 Purpose This project will ensure that there is an effective way to give an education access for all. Based on educational issues in the present times, this project will find out which way can fits in the educational condition in Indonesia. This project also to join the challange 20/20 program from NAIS.org. Education is important to improve the human resources in a country and if the quality of the human resources is better, the country can developed well. Indonesia still needs better human resources. Indonesia couldn’t get better human resources if the people couldn’t get a good quality education. So, all people must have the same rights to get a good education.

1.4 Method In this project, we will hace community work and observation. Research is also the important thing in this project because we need to find the brand new education issues. We also can read a book about the education problems. The most effective way is field observation to get maximum knowledge based on our needs.

1.5 Benefit We can learn more about the education problems in Indonesia and we also can learn how to solve the problems. We also can have experience to have a community work in a different types of school.

CHAPTER II ANALYSIS

2.1 Analysis As we already know, education is very important. But we also must realized that only several people can get education, some of them cannot. There are some factors contributed in this problem, but the main factor is about economical factor. This project have a goal to make an education access for all without any exceptions, even if it is from their economical background. This project is also to learn more about what are the government actions to improve the education quality and to make an education access for all and to make sure that government have got the right way to give an education access for all without any exceptions. We have some school partners from USA to discuss about the education access for all and to share informations about some types of schools. This program also to shared and to trade information about the education condition in both 2 countries and to discuss about how to make an education access for all effectively. We will work with those schools as a team to complete this project. The schools are from Pittsburgh, Sewickley, and Scarsdale in New York. We have searched about different types of school such as “Sekolah Rimba” or Jungle School Indonesia. Sekolah Rimba is a school made in a jungle. That means, the classroom is all tha space available in the jungle. They have no tables or chairs and they only have hand made chalk board. The founder of this school is Saur Marlina Manurung or also known as Butet Manurung. We can’t find any expensive stuff in this school, only an ordinary classroom and a very simple classroom, even they don’t have any chairs or tables. Even of their very simple school condition, but the students still want to go to their school because of their high desire of studying. Government must pay attention to them because they have a high desure to study but they don’t have enough stuff for their needs. This school is located in Hutan Bukit Duabelas, Jambi, Sumatera, Indonesia. This school already have 50 students from age 6 until 20. Butet Manurung is an incredible women because she can bring education into jungle peole and she can teach them aven if the subject is very simple, but they can get new knowledge. The students usually comes from nearby villages. She also can give education and makes the jungle people’s future become better and brighter. She taught reading and writing and some simple mathematics because those topics are the most important things for children. Without read, write, and mathematics, we can do nothiing and everything seemde very hard to be done. Many people around Indonesia donate their books, stationaries, and also money to help Butet to improve her school better. Perhaps all the students can have a brighter future for our next generation. Temporary result of the research are we can find what the government’s action in this problems. Based on our temporary result, the government have make a program called “BOS” to give a free school’s fee and free books for the poor people. This year, government will give more money for this program than last year. But, the “BOS” money for middle school students is higher than elementary, middle school get Rp 575.000,00 per students in a year and elemntary only get Rp 400.000,00 per students in a year. Perhaps there will be more increasing in the next year. The quotas for this year is up to twice from last year. If last year’s quota is only for 499.000 students around Indonesia, now the quota is 800.000 students around Indonesia. Hopes this program will works and will run smoothly. Our temporary result about our partnership with other schools from USA is we already give a comment for them as our introduction and in the comment we also add what topics are we looking for and we also hope that they can help us to give informations about the topic. We are still waiting for the reply from them. We have some next plans for the next term such as community work, contact person from DIKNAS and PGRI, and our introduction project. We have a plan to do a community work in some types of schools such as Kartini school, Mitra Netra or school for blind people, night school or age free school, and Sekolah Alam. We want to observe the school condition and find out which school is fit with the education condition in Indonesia. Kartini school is a school for poor people, so they don’t need to spend a lot of money to get education. Mitra Netra is a school for blind people, so blind people also can get education. Night school is a school held at night for all ages, can be young or old. This school made for people who couldn’t go to school at daytime because of their jobs or their works, but they still can learn at night in this school. Sekolah Alam is a school that the classroom is all the space available. They love and respect the nature. There are also a method called homeschooling. Homeschooling is learning subjects in our house with a private & professional teacher/tutor. Homeschooling is a legal option for parents who wants to provide their children with a different learning environment. This is one page that I copy paste from Mitra Netra, an institution about blind students for rehabilitation, schools, etc. The one who because of any reason becomes blind either low vision or total blind categories, generally feels psychological, mental, and social obstacles. This situation is often happened since there are nobody ever imagines being blind. The new blind generally is disappointed and frustrated, feels inferior, loses hope, and powerless. This mental unbalance is followed by an effort to search a scapegoat; blaming on him, other people who had made him suffer, or even God. The continuous conflict and emotional stress makes the blind lose his life spirit and hope of his future. The negative opinion about blinds and the lack of information about blindness have worsened the situation faced by the new blind and his family. When a patient of ophthalmologist is medically decided unrecoverable, he has no idea about to whom he must ask any help. As a consequence, the new blind does not get any advanced assistance and just stay at home all the time. This bad treatment makes the blind feels that he is neglected, shameful, burdening, and powerless in his family and community, whereas he has still much other potential to be developed optimally.

The objectives of Rehabilitation Program of Mitra Netra Foundation are as follows: To help in recovering the mental and psychological balance for those who just get blind, either in total or low vision blind categories; so that they can accept their new condition, have new future and new plan for his life. To give any basic skills and capabilities, which are, needed by the blinds to be independent and powerful in his society. The Rehabilitation Program organized by Mitra Netra Foundation includes: The Blindness Counseling Service by the Fellow Blinds The Blindness Counseling Service is a service provided to recover psychological, mental, and socio-emotional balance for those who suffer sight decrease or become blinds. This service is also to assist the blinds in overcoming psychological dan socio-emotional problems in their daily life.

Mitra Netra Foundation office The Department of Medical Rehabilitation of RSCM Jakarta (Mondays and Thursdays, 08.30 am -12.00 am)

Eye Polyclinic of RSCM, room 10 (Wednesdays. 08.30 am -12.00 am) counseling services provided includes: Information on blindness; Counseling service for clients and their families; Education and career consultations; and Skilled manpower employment to some related institutions in the frame of following up rehabilitation program.

Home Visit Home Visit is a supporting service in which the Counselor and Assistant Counselor visit the clients´ home or family´s client´s home. This service is proposed to get any additional information needed in assisting the Clients. This activity is also to give any information about blindness to the Clients´ environment.

Orientation and Mobility Trainings Sight decrease or disappearance gives the blinds some difficulties in doing their daily activities. Therefore, they need a skill to enable them recognize their environment, move from one to another place, and carry out daily activities without becoming dependent on others´ help.

The Orientation and Mobility Trainings are trainings to provide the blinds with ability and skill in optimizing their senses in order to help them recognize environment, move and go to other place, and carry out daily activities effectively and securely. Those with orientation and mobility skills are hoped to be independent and have self confidence to continue their life.

Orientation and Mobility Trainings are performed by professional instructor O and M with individual teaching methods. These trainings take place for about three months, by considering the blindness level of Clients and the need of Clients in carrying out their daily activities.

Braille Reading and Writing Courses Reading and writing are important activities in our life. These activities enable people to get education, job, written information, entertainment, and to communicate. For the blinds, reading and writing may be carried out by using Braille letters. For those purpose, Mitra Netra Foundation organizes Braille Reading and Writing Courses for the new blinds before they get any advanced education or training. These courses are provided by an instructor for about two months.

Support Group for the Parents of Blind Children Parents and other family members have various responds to the birth of a baby. It is understandable; remembering that all parents hope that their baby is born without any obstacle or disease. When a baby is born with sight problem, generally its parents do not understand what they should do. They are also worried about the future of this baby.

Support-group is a group activity organized to accommodate parents of blind children to help each other by sharing their experiences in facing, taking care of, and bring up their children.

Support-Group has regular meeting, which is facilitated by a Counselor and invites informant to give any positive inputs for the parents.

We hope that through this activity, parents will have positive attitude and accept their children´s condition, have conviction about their future, and get information on taking care and educating their blind children through the experience-sharing process.

Program and ServicesEducation Service Integrated Education. The Education and Training Section of the Foundation provides companions for blind students who are taking part in an integrated system in the public schools, at the secondary as well as university level. Services include: Providing companions for students who are interested in and capable of applying for admission to integrated classes in the public schools. At first the main difficulty faced was the refusal of the Secondary schools and colleges/universities to accept blind students in an integrated program. The Education and Training Section of the Foundation then brought this problem to the attention of the Jakarta office of the Department of Education and Culture. A number of efforts on the part of the Foundation eventually resulted in a decree issued by the Jakarta Office of the Department of Education and Culture on April 23, 1999 (No. 31/101:B2/LL/1999 on the Designation of public junior and senior high schools in Jakarta as schools carrying out an integrated educational system). Following are the public schools designated, up until now, the number of students in integrated classes in Jakarta recorded by the MITRA NETRA Foundation is 61 students. The quantities of data will be presented bellow.

Companion’s service is provided for visually impaired Junior and senior high school students and university students in order to assist them in doing their assignments, including converting Braille into roman characters. Companions to assist students in taking examinations service provided for visually impaired students who are taking semester or final examina¬tions, helping them to read the questions they have to answer.

Visits to integrated schools The purpose of these visits is to identify any problems that might arise in connection with the presence of blind students in these schools, among others, the relationship between the students and the situation at the school (the principal, teachers, and other students) and difficulties relating to their studies. After such visits a decision will be made on what steps can be taken by the foundation to assist in overcoming any problems.

Data are compiled on the blind students and the integrated schools in order to facilitate services. Recently, the MITRA NETRA Foundation recorded 41 schools with an integrated system in Jakarta comprising elementary school, junior and senior high schools and colleges/universities.

Following are the names of the institutions are presented bellow:

Preparatory Classes for students who wish to continue their studies This program is provided in two months for visually impaired students from the junior and Senior High Schools who are interested in and capable of continuing their studies to a higher educational level.

College Preparatory Classes for students taking State University Entrance examinations (UMPTN). The purpose of this program is to prepare students who have graduated from a senior high school and are interested in and capable of continuing their studies to take the entrance examinations. The classes are held during three months before the examinations in order to:

Enable the students to understand the instructions given in the examinations. Enable the students to measure the time given by the committee against the number of questions that have to be answered. Make it possible for the students to have a better idea of the material, which may be given in the examinations.

Educational Consultation. A consultation service is provided for students who encounter difficulties in their studies and in adapting themselves to the environment of their school or campus. In general, the problems faced by blind students are related to a lack of understanding of them and their problems, mobility, and a method of teaching which does¬ not exactly fit their needs.

Meetings of blind students with the Foundation. Such meetings are hold as a vehicle of communication between visually impaired students and the foundation a service institution. Meetings are held the office of the MITRA NETRA Foundation three times a year, at which times discussions are held relating to the problems generally faced by the students, and efforts are made to solve these problems. The meetings also serve as a means of conveying useful information to the students. Upgrading Indonesian Braille symbols for math¬ematics, physics, and chemistry. It is considered necessary to provide information on these symbols to Students in integrated classes, since the symbols are new.

In this PDR Project, We have also done a research in a school named “Sekolah Alam”, it’s a school with Natural Orientation. According with my research result, Sekolah alam (read: Nature School) is a private school with natural environment orientation. Sekolah Alam is really different with other school, Sekolah alam is like study without any class in the nature, without any desk, chair, etc. They usually study about nature, so they can know nature well, for example Jungle, Mountain, etc. If they already visited one place, they move another place, so they like travel like taking a journey in one place to another place. The Subject of Sekolah Alam is different, the concept studied taught is totally different with another schools. This school also was not owned by certain individuals, but by all the interest s that were not involved inside. All school’s staffs, the teachers, parents, and the employee was “shareholders” in this school.

The nearest Sekolah Alam from High/Scope is Sekolah Alam Ciganjur, also, I would like to explain about this school’s information. Here is the address of Sekolah alam in Ciganjur:

Sekolah alam Ciganjur Jl. Anda 7X, Ciganjur Jakarta Selatan, Indonesia Telp: (021)78881659

Sekolah alam Ciganjur officially opened in 1998, this school experienced a series of trip and the transformation through to the condition like at this time. Sekolah Alam Ciganjur is mainly Moslem School (Sekolah Muslim), and in Sekolah Alam, there are Playgroup, TK (Kindergarten), SD (Elementary School), and SMP (Middle School). In Sekolah Alam Ciganjur, there are 21 Class, right now; Sekolah Alam Ciganjur is still on development. This is the Official Website of Sekolah Alam Ciganjur: http://sekolahalam.org

There is also free school for the children of the street. School Children of the Streets named SAJA is made under the bridge vault as one of the ways to minimize its activities to the children of street. During some years, SAJA events continue to run and the impact of the existence of this school is at least the children who go down to the road. The nearest Sekolah Anak jalanan from High/Scope is SAJA; also, I would like to explain about this school’s information. Here is the address of Free School:

Secretariate Office: Sekolah Anak Jalanan (SAJA) Dibawah jembatan tol Gedong Panjang, Kampung Kakap, Jakarta Utara Kontak : Reinhart, Kepala Sekolah, HP 0818701732

After the Sekolah Anak Jalanan, in Indoensia also can be found free school with library and dormitory method. So, the students can learn from the library provided and they also can get one dormitory for them. SMART Ekselensia Indonesia’s program is designed to: -Assisting Assisting the elementary school graduates or the equivalent of the potential for improving the education level become higher. -Produce International class scientist candidate with the capacity and leadership of the religious. -Form the student to become human with a good behavior, in individual way and social way. -Increase academic achievement and the potential for self-optimizing. Strengthening the motivation to live better to be free from poverty in family This school is also a dormitory and built for poor people in Indonesia initiated to improve the dignity and the degree of poor people through education programs and comprehensive development and sustainability. Hopefully, after going through the process of education and training in the SMART EI, each student has a provision for the work of the nation, state and religion. Education system in the SMART Ekselensia have special characteristics that the application of the integrated activities of the education system in schools and education in the dormitory. In the school education system consists of intrakurikuler and extracurricular activities. While in residence program includes the development of self. Along with advances in technology and demands the globalization era, the SMART Ekselensia Library developed excellent services such as digital information services. All of books (scientific papers, newspaper articles, seminars and training materials and journals) property of Library SMART can now be accessed in digital form. Thus the service user can use SMART Library collection easily and quickly without having to come to the library. Above all the education institution in Indonesia, there is a leader of all the institution called Ministry of Education or DIKNAS. DIKNAS is the highest leader of all education activities in Indonesia. DIKNAS also must have the poor people to get education because all people have the same right to get education and education in Indonesia is the responsibility of DIKNAS. In Indonesia, there is a program made by DIKNAS for those who can't pay the school fee but they still can get education. The program named "BOS" or School's Operational Fee or Biaya Operasional Sekolah in Indonesian. This program gives a free school fee and free books for those who want to study but can't buy the school's payment. So, those who didn't have enough money to pay the school's fee also can study in school just like other students.

Government will give more "BOS" money in this year more than last year, but only for middle school students. So, elementary school students will also get more "BOS" bt not as much as middle school students. Elementary students will get Rp 400.000 per student in a year and middle school students will ge Rp 575.000 per student in a year. That money given from the government must be used for their school payment and other school needs such as stationary, uniform, or books. The children who can get "BOS" also much more than last year. This year's quota is up to twice than last year's quota. Last year's quota was 499.000 children that can get the "BOS", but this year's quota is 800.000 children can get the "BOS". So, DIKNAS have increase the quota of the "BOS" program so there are more people can get education, even if the increasement is only for middle school. Hope there is also more quotas for elementary school and senior high school in next years to achieve the goal which is "Education For All".

CHAPTER III SUMMARY AND SUGGESTIONS

3.1 Summary Education condition in Indonesia is unfair because only several people can get education. Most of the poor people couldn’t get education because they don’t have enough money to pay the school’s fee, the books, and the uniform. We will have a discussion with other schools from USA via challange 20/20 from NAIS.org to compare the education from both countries and to discuss about how to make an education for all without any exceptios. We will discuss the problem and try to solve them. Challange 20/20 means 20 global problems, 20 years to solve the. There are 20 global problems in this prgram, but we decided to focusing it in the education topic. Government in Indoensia have made a program called “BOS” to help poor people pay their school’s fee, the books, and all the school needs. This year’s quotas for this program is up to twice than last year’s quotas. Hopes next year’s quotas will be higher to achieve the goal which is Education Access for All. We will also have a community work in some types of school such as kartini school, Mitra Netra school, Sekolah Alam, and night school. We will observe the condition and we will find out which schools fit in education condition in Indonesua nowadays. Hopes governement will give more attention about the education because education is a very important thing in someone’s life.

3.2 Suggestions We suggest that more people must learn and read more about the education condition in Indonesia to realize how is the condition in these present days. If people know the condition, it will make them wanted to help and to find the solutions of this problems and together we can solve this problems easier.

BIBILIOGRAPHY

http://www.nais.org/about/index.cfm?itemnumber=145843&sn.ItemNumber=1483 www.3an.blogspot.com/2007/08/sokola-rimba.html www.sinarharapan.co.id/berita/0508/08/sh05.html perpustakaanrimba.wordpress.com www.sinarharapan.co.id/berita/0708/29/opi01.html b0cah.org/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=59 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_Indonesia maju-pendidikan.blogspot.com www.tempointeraktif.com/hg/topik/masalah/1713/ http://tappkipmkng.wordpress.com/2007/05/03/pemerataan-pendidikan/ http://www.freelists.org/post/ppi/ppiindia-Revolusi-Pemerataan-Mutu-Pendidikan http://www.koranpendidikan.com/artikel/2186/pemerataan-pendidikan-di-indonesia.html http://www.khilafah1924.org/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=227 http://amalia07.files.wordpress.com/2008/07/kondisi-pemerataan-pendidikan.pdf

Blog Site: www.educationpdr.blogspot.com

ATTACHMENT

(the first article of my blog)

(the second article)

(the third article)

about Mitra Netra This is one page that i copy paste from Mitra Netra, a n institution about blind students for rehabilitation, schiools, etc. REHABILITATION The one who because of any reason becomes blind either low vision or total blind categories, generally feels psychological, mental, and social obstacles. This situation is often happened since there are nobody ever imagines being blind. The new blind generally is disappointed and frustrated, feels inferior, loses hope, and powerless. This mental unbalance is followed by an effort to search a scapegoat; blaming on himself, other people who had made him suffer, or even God. The continuous conflict and emotional stress makes the blind lose his life spirit and hope of his future.

The negative opinion about blinds and the lack of information about blindness have worsened the situation faced by the new blind and his family. When a patient of ophthalmologist is medically decided unrecoverable, he has no idea about to whom he must ask any help. As a consequence, the new blind does not get any advanced assistance and just stay at home all the time. This bad treatment makes the blind feels that he is neglected, shameful, burdening, and powerless in his family and community, whereas he has still much other potential to be developed optimally.

The objectives of Rehabilitation Program of Mitra Netra Foundation are as follows:

To help in recovering the mental and psychological balance for those who just get blind, either in total or low vision blind categories; so that they can accept their new condition, have new future and new plan for his life. To give any basic skills and capabilities, which are, needed by the blinds to be independent and powerful in his society. The Rehabilitation Program organized by Mitra Netra Foundation includes:

The Blindness Counseling Service by the Fellow Blinds The Blindness Counseling Service is a service provided to recover psychological, mental, and socio-emotional balance for those who suffer sight decrease or become blinds. This service is also to assist the blinds in overcoming psychological dan socio-emotional problems in their daily life.

The counseling service is performed by a Blind Counselor at some places as follows:

Mitra Netra Foundation office The Department of Medical Rehabilitation of RSCM Jakarta (Mondays and Thursdays, 08.30 am -12.00 am) Eye Polyclinic of RSCM, room 10 (Wednesdays. 08.30 am -12.00 am) Counseling services provided includes:

Information on blindness; Counseling service for clients and their families; Education and career consultations; and Skilled manpower employment to some related institutions in the frame of following up rehabilitation program. Home Visit Home Visit is a supporting service in which the Counselor and Assistant Counselor visit the clients´ home or family´s client´s home. This service is proposed to get any additional information needed in assisting the Clients. This activity is also to give any information about blindness to the Clients´ environment.

Orientation and Mobility Trainings Sight decrease or disappearance gives the blinds some difficulties in doing their daily activities. Therefore, they need a skill to enable them recognize their environment, move from one to another place, and carry out daily activities without becoming dependent on others´ help.

The Orientation and Mobility Trainings are trainings to provide the blinds with ability and skill in optimizing their senses in order to help them recognize environment, move and go to other place, and carry out daily activities effectively and securely. Those with orientation and mobility skills are hoped to be independent and have self confidence to continue their life.

Orientation and Mobility Trainings are performed by professional instructor O and M with individual teaching methods. These trainings take place for about three months, by considering the blindness level of Clients and the need of Clients in carrying out their daily activities.

Braille Reading and Writing Courses Reading and writing are important activities in our life. These activities enable people to get education, job, written information, entertainment, and to communicate. For the blinds, reading and writing may be carried out by using Braille letters. For those purpose, Mitra Netra Foundation organizes Braille Reading and Writing Courses for the new blinds before they get any advanced education or training. These courses are provided by an instructor for about two months.

Support Group for the Parents of Blind Children Parents and other family members have various responds to the birth of a baby. It is understandable; remembering that all parents hope that their baby is born without any obstacle or disease. When a baby is born with sight problem, generally its parents do not understand what they should do. They are also worried about the future of this baby.

Support-group is a group activity organized to accommodate parents of blind children to help each other by sharing their experiences in facing, taking care of, and bring up their children.

Support-Group has regular meeting, which is facilitated by a Counselor and invites informant to give any positive inputs for the parents.

We hope that through this activity, parents will have positive attitude and accept their children´s condition, have conviction about their future, and get information on taking care and educating their blind children through the experience-sharing process. Program and ServicesEducation Service Integrated Education The Education and Training Section of the Foundation provides companions for blind students who are taking part in an integrated system in the public schools, at the secondary as well as university level. Services include: Providing companions for students who are interested in and capable of applying for admission to integrated classes in the public schools. At first the main difficulty faced was the refusal of the Secondary schools and colleges/universities to accept blind students in an integrated program. The Education and Training Section of the Foundation then brought this problem to the attention of the Jakarta office of the Department of Education and Culture. A number of efforts on the part of the Foundation eventually resulted in a decree issued by the Jakarta Office of the Department of Education and Culture on April 23, 1999 (No. 31/101:B2/LL/1999 on the Designation of public junior and senior high schools in Jakarta as schools carrying out an integrated educational system).

Following are the public schools designated,

Up till now, the number of students in integrated classes in Jakarta recorded by the MITRA NETRA Foundation is 61 students. The quantities of data will be presented bellow.

Companions This service is provided for visually impaired Junior and senior high school students and university students in order to assist them in doing their assignments, including converting braille into roman characters.

Companions to assist students in taking examinations. This service is provided for visually impaired students who are taking semester or final examina­tions, helping them to read the questions they have to answer.

Visits to integrated schools The purpose of these visits is to identify any problems that might arise in connection with the presence of blind students in these schools, among others, the relationship between the students and the situation at the school (the principal, teachers, and other students) and difficulties relating to their studies. After such visits a decision will be made on what steps can be taken by the foundation to assist in overcoming any problems.

Data are compiled on the blind students and the integrated schools in order to facilitate services. Recently, the MITRA NETRA Foundation recorded 41 schools with an integrated system in Jakarta comprising elementary school, junior and senior high schools and colleges/universities.

Following are the The name of the institutions are presented bellow.

Preparatory Classes for students who wish to continue their studies This program is provided in two months for visually impaired students from the junior and Senior High Schools who are interested in and capable of continuing their studies to a higher educational level.

College Preparatory Classes for students taking State University Entrance examinations (UMPTN). The purpose of this program is to prepare students who have graduated from a senior high school and are interested in and capable of continuing their studies to take the entrance examinations. The classes are held during three months before the examinations in order to:

Enable the students to understand the instructions given in the examinations. Enable the students to measure the time given by the committee against the number of questions that have to be answered. Make it possible for the students to have a better idea of the material, which may be given in the examinations. Educational Consultation. A consultation service is provided for students who encounter difficulties in their studies and in adapting themselves to the environment of their school or campus. In general, the problems faced by blind students are related to a lack of understanding of them and their problems, mobility, and a method of teaching which does­ not exactly fit their needs.

Meetings of blind students with the Foundation. Such meetings are hold as a vehicle of communication between visually impaired students and the foundation a service institution. Meetings are held the office of the MITRA NETRA Foundation three times a year, at which times discussions are held relating to the problems generally faced by the students, and efforts are made to solve these problems. The meetings also serve as a means of conveying useful information to the students.

Upgrading Indonesian braille symbols for math­ematics, physics, and chemistry It is considered necessary to provide information on these symbols to Students in integrated classes, since the symbols are new.

Depdiknas' program For improving the national education, depdiknas make programs for 2009, which are;

- scholarship, inc. doctoral, magister, bachelor, and diploma - school rehabilitation for the broken school, etc. - National exam - Teacher: Sertification, Qualification, Helper teacher, Honorer teacher - 20% education budget - education text book - new student accepting system - 9 years school program " Wajib Belajar 9 Tahun" - Courses, program "kejar paket a, paket c" - Kindergarten The School Program The Childhood Program

A. Play group

1. Intervention for Childhood and Parents 2. Learning course program

B. Kindergarten

1. Preparation program (for children who from Learning course program) 2. Special Preparation A program (for children who want to continue the elementary school program) 3. Special Preparation B program (for children who wont to continue the elementary school program)

The Elementary Program

The elementary program has length from grade 1 until grade 8. The education is for students 7 years old until 15 years old. The education are such as read-write, creativity, attitude, etiquette, basic knowledge, etc. The students also learn about the the outside world. The school also provides after school program or course, such as swimming, dance, islamic class, badminton, taekwondo, painting.

The curriculum follows the depdiknas', but has special adds such as rhythm and sound program. It use the alphabet fingers as the method in teaching and learning activity.

The Junior High School and High School Program

The junior high school and high school prepared for enter the world of work. It also focuses on communication for the deaf people, so they can be professional in the communication. The subjects are: math, religion, science, citizenship, bahasa indonesia, social studies, physical education, and english. The school also has the same special education such as the elementary school has it, which is rhythm and sound program.

Both of the program have another program which is internship for students who in the last class.

The school also provides enrichment, such as designer, automotive, computer,and cooking. by: Agnes Pinkan Lumowa