Boys' Bondstwo students tell why going to a same-sex school worked for them. The boy shares his experience attending the all-boys Canisius College in Jakarta. He says the school's spacious grounds and rigorous academic curriculum are balanced by extracurricular activities and discussions that would not be possible in a co-ed school. The school teaches time management and leadership through various clubs, events, and community service opportunities. Attending same-sex school does not mean only socializing with the same sex, as girls can be met at inter-school events, sports competitions, and concerts. The boy feels a strong sense of brotherhood at the school and that the single-sex environment allows for a

1. making the grade
Boys’Bondstwo students teLL whY GoinG to a
same-seX schooL worked for them.
here we start with a BoY’s own storY.
P
eople usually gaze in confusion as my
identity unfolds:i am a student from
canisius college,an all-boys junior
and senior high school in menteng,
central Jakarta.Then comes the
stereotyped question,“don’t you get
bored looking at boys all day?”
indeed,it was a bit strange when
I first stepped foot in my junior high
school five and a half years ago.The
spacious grounds of this 87-year-old
dutch-founded Jesuit school startled
me,but it quickly transformed into my
second home.
Without doubt,the maxim“work
hard,play hard” applies to my daily
school life,which is not only about
the 7 a.m.– 2 p.m.class hours.The
demands of the hectic academic
curriculum,with an almost endless
round of exams and assignments,is
balanced by a variety of non-academic
activities and outlandish,far-ranging
discussions that i believe would not be
possible within co-ed schools.
all these responsibilities make
time management a must.From the
basketball club to the choir,the student
council to the school newspaper,
we are taught to have a balanced
life while encompassing leadership
skills and utilizing our talents.a way
to incorporate such skills is the
organization of mass-scale events by
students.Events such as the upcoming
canisius science,art and Language
Festival (casanoVa),a competition
which will be held in January 2015,
involves us as members of committees
to develop our organizational skills.
With students from across Jakarta
gathering at our events,there is
plenty of opportunity for interaction.
Thus,in answer to the stereotypical
question mentioned above,no,we
don’t necessarily hang out with the
same sex throughout our school lives.
We can meet girls at school events,
whether sports and arts competitions
or concerts.
concern for society is also
emphasized in the learning process
at my school.i have gone to villages
twice–once in junior high and once
in senior high–to experience the
agricultural and maritime culture of
indonesia.From these experiences,i
realized that happiness does not always
come in the form of material wealth,
but it’s the bond of a community that is
really important.
and those are the bonds i also
feel in the brotherly society of
canisius college. it is an environment
that allows for a broad range of
expression without having to follow
the clichéd behavior that is expected
when the opposite sex is present.
That can come later.
Words:daVEsEBasTian
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