Pacitan is implementing PAKEM

On 17 and 18 April a USAID design team planning a new education project visited several MBE districts including Pacitan, Probolinggo and Kebumen accompanied by our consultants. Everyone was pleased to see that many classes are ready implementing PAKEM well, even though the teachers have only recently been trained. Below there is report about a number of schools in Pacitan.

The students in class 4A, SD Baleharjo II (above) are doing experiments on their own using simple equipment and materials, while their teacher Ibu Sri Budiharti, is facilitating their activities, including preparing the scenario, instructions sheet, materials and observing and helping the children. The result of the experiment was reported by the children in a work sheet and read out in front of the class. When the school principal was asked how the students' parents felt about PAKEM, he said they were very supportive. When the children were asked how they felt, they said they were very happy and felt challenged by the learning processes, because they were given challenges by the teacher and given more opportunities to develop their skills and engage in discussions.

Many changes are also visible at SD Ploso 1. A lot of children's work is displayed in an interesting and attractive manner. The quality of the work is also good and is the result of children's own efforts. Above there is picture of a class 5 display and the writing of Dika, a class 3 pupil (above right).The school does not have a room for a library, but since the SBM and PAKEM training, it has made several reading corners at various places around the school. In the picture on the right the children are avidly reading the books in one of these corners. They are wearing traditional clothes because they were celebrating Kartini's (an Indonesian hero's) birthday.

The class 6 children in SD Losari 1 (below left), in the subdistrict of Tulakan, were doing practical work during our visit. They were doing a science experiment using a kit provided by the SEQIP project.

SMP Muhamadiyah has been involved in the training and was pleased with the new experiences provided. But, when the principal, Bambang Sutaryo (below right), was asked about the training, he gave the following advice about increasing the quality and effectiveness of future training.

'PAKEM training should be carried out using PAKEM methods - sometimes there was too much lecturing' MBE very much agrees with this opinion read more below.

Kebumen, a district newly selected to take part in the MBE program already has a TV and Radio station owned by the local government Ratih TV. The Bupati would like to take on the challenge of making educational programs with a popular slant so that the children enjoy learning more and find it easier to remember things.