Educational Working Guidelines

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 Drs. 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 neighboring 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 Somerville Secondary College and SMA Negeri 2 Tangsel to work together. It is fortunate that the desire to work together has coincided: SMA Negeri 2 Tangsel will get the opportunity to develop to an international standard and its students will have the opportunity to study English; whilst Somerville College 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 2, Tangsel and Somerville College 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 Tangsel 2 will be able to study English, Information Technology and Technology and Somerville students will be able to study Indonesian, local Art and traditional dance at Tangsel.
2.Staff exchange: Tangsel staff will have the opportunity to study educational administration at Somerville 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.Tangsel 2 will always create ways correspond with Somerville College. Firstly, Tangsel 2 will begin corresponding between principal, teachers with teachers, staff with staff and students with students.
2.Tangsel 2 will always need to create routine contact to ensure we are following the same agenda both in Australia and in Indonesia.
3.Tangsel 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.Tangsel 2 will make a Memorandum of Agreement (MOU) with Somerville 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. Tangsel 2 will carry out a visit to Somerville College 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. Tangsel 2 would like to begin organising formal permission with the Somerville and Tngasel 2 parents so that the students can experience homestay accommodation.
7. Tangsel 2 and Somerville 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).