MBE is entering new districts

The program will shortly begin to work in five new districts including : Kota Batu, Kota Madiun and the district of Blitar in East Java, and the districts of Banyumas and Kebumen in Central Java. Next year ten new districts are expected to enter the MBE program.

The districts chosen are those that want to make progress and that have tried to make progress of their own accord. For example the town of Kota Batu has already visited schools in Probolinggo and Mojokerto to observe school based management (SBM), and has already started to implement SBM in its own schools based on what they observed during their visits.

The MBE program has not yet started in Batu, but they have already visited SBM schools. After the visit SD Punten 1 formed parents' groups for each class, who have put up display boards, made teaching aids and taken action to follow up children who do not attend school.

The district of Kebumen under the leadership of the Bupati Ibu Dra. Rustriningsih MSi has already implemented a number of innovative ideas to increase the efficiency and accountability of the district government including: Every morning at 05.45, except when she is on duties out of town, the Bupati heads for the Ratih radio and television stations (both owned by the local government) to do an interactive broadcast with the community of Kebumen.

Bupati of Kebumen, Ibu Dra. Rustriningsih M.Si.

In the education sector the Bupati and the staff have already taken the initiative of involving the community in rebuilding damaged schools and introducing open and transparent procedures to select school principals. You can read more about the new MBE "FROM THE NEW MBE DISTRICTS…

Teachers start to use PAKEM

The training in PAKEM - usually known as Contextual Learning in Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) - took place in February and March for 20 schools in each district.
The participants made and tried out lesson scenarios to encourage pupils to become more active and creative and make the lessons more effective and enjoyable. As a result of the training certain changes are expected in class including:

• Children are given more opportunities express their own thoughts;

• Children's work is written in their own words;

• The students are organized to encourage more inter-action;

• There are displays of children's work.

You can read more about the district training inside.

Local Governments introduce Formula Funding

Adequate funding is essential to support School Based Management. It is quite clear that it is more efficient for teachers, principals and school committees to manage the buying of books, learning materials and other operational needs as well as the maintenance of the school building.

We are very pleased to report that several districts have all ready implemented school financing by giving substantial funding directly to schools. These districts include the first stage districts of Pacitan and Pati and the new districts of Batu and Madiun.

Banyuwangi, Batang and Probolinggo are currently drawing up a school financing formula. We held a workshop to discuss school funding from 15 to 17 April in Surabaya (see the report on page Pacitan and Pati Implement Formula Funding for Schools)