Other activities conducted in the first trimester of 2008 by SF TI include several educational needs assessments supported by Total E&P Indonesie and Bosowa Coorporation, school consultancies, professional development programme for principals supported by BHP Billiton and CITIC-Seram, participation in various education seminars, and discussion on education standards or programme development.

Four educational needs assessments and two school consultancies were completed during this term. The needs assessments include assessment for 15 schools in Kutai-Kartanegara, East Kalimantan, including SDN 01 (pictured) supported by Total E&P Indonesie, assessment for 17 schools in kabupaten Jeneponto and Maros, South Sulawesi supported by Bosowa Coorporation, and assessment for as a groundwork for United Schools International Programme at SMAN 2 Sekayu, South Sumatera,  SMAN 1 Pandaan, East Java and independent assessment for Pesantren An-Nugayah in Sumenep, Madura, East Java. These assessments will be used to design a programme matching certain goals defined by donors or clients. While three schools, SMAK St. Albertus, Dempo, Malang, East Java and SMPK Pandu and SMPK Santa Maria in Bandung, West Java, invited SF TI staff members to conduct school concultancies.

– Left: SDN 01 Students enjoying their break; Right: Needs assessment participants in Pandaan.

Another programme, professional development for principals were conducted both in February 2008. The first programme, supported by BHP Billiton, was done in Murung Raya, Central Kalimantan and was attended by 17 superintendents and 5 principals. The second programme, supported by CITIC-Seram was done in Seram Bagian Timur and was attended by 3 superintendents and 24 principals.

Early in January 2008, head of research and development of SF TI Riris Lumban Tobing took part and presented a paper titled, “The Features of Science Education in Indonesia,” in Annual Science Education Conference in Liverpool, England, that was proven to be an excellent model for a conference design. While on February 28, three SF TI facilitators, Raymond Setiawan, Jalu Noor Cahyanto, and Aditya Dharma, were invited to speak at an education seminar hosted by Non Formal School, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Indonesia (SNF FEUI) aimed for 100 educators in Depok and surrounding areas.

Discussions and meetings regarding programme development or educational standards were done with PT HM Sampoerna Tbk., Kepala Diknas and Kepala LPMP Propinsi Bali, and Diknas Kota Tangerang. Internal meeting was also conducted to identify the important characteristics of an SBI school, which later on can be used as a basis to compose a comprehensive and nationally accepted take on SBI schools.