Jayapura Jubi – Six high school students from Papua New Guinea are currently studying at SMAN 3 Jayapura.
The school’s principal, Anton Joko Martono, said all arrangements related to visa, school registration and dormitory of the students managed by the Government of Papua New Guinea.
“There are three 10th grade student, two 11th grade student and one 12th grade student who finally registered to study in here,” said Anton on last week. He said the six students are currently learning Bahasa Indonesia, while the Papuan students are attempting to learn English for communication.
“There are benefits enjoyed by both sides. It was reflected from the last two weeks,” he said.
The students from PNG are obliged to pursue the religious, civics and history studies. They are also obliged to learn Bahasa Indonesia.
“To facilitate the communication in the class room, both English and Indonesian teachers would tutor them, our Indonesian teacher also speaks English fluently, so these children would always be accompanied. Even all teachers of other studies also help to teach them the Indonesian,” he explained.
The Head of Jayapura Municipal Education Office I Wayan Mudiasyra said the presence of six students from PNG is the follow up of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Government of Papua New Guinea and the Government of the Republic of Indonesia through the Ministry of Education, as well as the MoU between the Papua Provincial Papua and Sandaun Province, PNG.
“I think during the time they don’t have any obstacles, they can also read in Bahasa Indonesia, the point it they can adapt to their friends,” said Mudiasyra to Jubi at Aula Soan Sor.
He said the six students came to study at SMAN 3 because the school has dormitory and use the latest curriculum, namely curriculum 2013.
“At SMAN 3, the teachers of physics, mathematic, English, understand English very well, so the learning process to these students could be delivered in English and Indonesian,” said Mudiasyra. (*/rom)