The document provides an overview of education in Indonesia and the work of Singapore International School (SIS) to improve access to quality private education. It notes that Indonesia has low education spending and outcomes compared to other Asian nations. SIS was established in 1996 and has since expanded to multiple campuses across Indonesia, educating almost 3,000 students using a curriculum modeled on Singapore's system. The International Finance Corporation provided loans starting in 2003 to allow SIS to further expand and serve lower-income students through affordable schools. Independent reviews found SIS matches top Singapore schools in teaching quality and student performance on international exams.

2. Education for all; Private
schools for all income
levels
An insight into SIS‟ sustainable and
scalable schools in Indonesia

3. Presentation agenda
Insight into Indonesia‟s education sector
Insight into SIS; present/future
Insight into the impact IFC had on SIS
Further role IFC can play
Q&A

4. Indonesia
Startling statistics: General
Largest school age population in the world
Lowest Government spending on education
& highest drop-outs in S.E Asia (behind
Laos and Vietnam)
30% of 12-15 year olds make it to
secondary schools
After the financial crisis in Asia, 40,000
dropped out of elementary schools
Schools riddled with corruption

5. Indonesia
Startling statistics: Teachers
50% primary & 63% secondary school
teachers -minimum qualifications
Teachers low motivation. 80% take on
other jobs. Absenteeism. Little/No training
Poor teaching methodologies; rote
learning, little development of critical
thinking skills
Need 500,000 trained teachers

6. Education Standards in
Asia 3.09
3.19
3.50
3.96
4.24
4.27
4.41
4.72
5.47
5.96
6.21
6.56
- 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0 7.0
Indonesia
Vietnam
Thailand
Philippines
Hong Kong
Malaysia
China
India
Taiwan
Japan
Singapore
South Korea
The following graph illustrates that Indonesia is ranked as having the poorest quality
education system of the 12 Asian countries surveyed:
0 being best and 10 being worst
(Source: HK based PERC survey 2001)

7. Consequences
- Poor foundation in early years in Maths and Science or a command of a working
language reduces opportunity to enjoy higher education
- Growing pool of unskilled students and no confidence (44% in a 2001 World bank
survey said student achievement in schools have decreased after financial crisis)
- Investments head to higher learning institutions
- Those who can afford move out of provinces/go overseas creating economic woes
- Brain drain (not coming back)
- Domino effect – physically handicapped ignored
- “Prey institutions” flourish = radical religious schools
start to mushroom

8. Type of Schools
 International Schools
“undeclared” 30% cap on
Indonesians students
 Religious Schools – Islamic and
Christian
 National Schools – Public/State schools
 National Plus Schools
“ Private schools”

9. Insight into Public and Private
schools
2.25 million private pre-schools VS 28,000
pre-schools
1.9 million private elementary schools + 3
million Islamic elementary schools VS 24
million public elementary schools

10. Insight into Public and Private
schools
 Growing upper and middle income class prefer private schools
 Lower income prefer private schools; 85% of the low income attend
Islamic schools (privately run); enrollment up 7% a year
 20% of all Indonesian school children attend madrasahs
 Mushrooming of private schools; Cheap private schools schools no
guarantee on quality. Fertile ground for radical religious schools aiming
lower income groups

11. Government’s Response
 Simplify and standardize national curriculum
(competency based) BUT implementation so
hampered by lack of training and
supervision
 Central government‟s transfer of authority
for national education to regional
government BUT patchy and confused (who
is responsible for training)….local budgets
more for immediate impact programs
 Work with international sponsors, donor
communities, agencies and institutions like
ADB, WB, IFC etc BUT these institutions
have their concerns and limitations
 Promote and encourage private sector
participation in education in Indonesia

12. Concerns of Development Banks,
Donor Community & Aid Agencies
 Schools be freed from corruption for max returns on loans &
aid grants?
 Pte schools for middle and upper income; Supervision? R&D
for improvement? Quality?
 Pte schools for lower income; Sustainable? Scalable?
 Teacher training; Usual route; improve quality by spending
millions on teacher training only to be put back into same
rigid structure. Teachers go back to preferred systems once aid
missions move on

13. Private sector’s hand in education; reality
 Religious schools; Mushrooming. Fertile
ground for radical teaching
 National Plus Schools;
Education has become a business
Owners (dubious, money laundering,
no long term vision)
Teacher hijacking and unethical
marketing practices
No independent checks

14. Singapore International School
(Indonesia)
The Background
 Founded in 1996
 Assisted by H.E Edward Lee, then-Singapore‟s
Ambassador to Indonesia
 Encouragement from then-Deputy Prime Minister of
Singapore, Dr Tony Tan and then-Singapore‟s
Minister of Education Teo Chee Hean
 Set up by educationists from Singapore‟s premier
school Raffles Institution (RI)….Secondment of Vice-
Principal from RI to SIS.

15. Singapore International School
(Indonesia)
The Background
 School in N. Jakarta (20 students).
 Singapore embassy helped to raise grants. Moved to South.
Muscled out
 Moved again to Bona Vista complex, struggling real estate.
Finished off un-finished club-house and moved in 2002 (250
students)
 Now more than 400 students from 35 different nationalities in a
modern campus & Brought Life to the Real estate

16. SIS in South
Jakarta

17. Singapore International School
(Indonesia)
 More than 300 Indonesian students on waiting list for SIS (30%
cap)
 Indonesian students already in SIS struggled because of
background and language
 Decision: 2 pilot schools for Indonesian students; Kebun Jeruk
and Kelapa Gading - under SIS umbrella but called “Singapore
Indonesian School”
 Spent 18 months on two pilot schools; Kelapa Gading and
Kebun Jeruk (both in Jakarta)
 Researched, designed and developed a unique SIS curriculum
(modeled after the Singapore curriculum)

18. SIS, Kebun Jeruk; pilot school 1
(West Jakarta; 100 students)

19. SIS, Kelapa Gading; Pilot school 2;
100 students

20. Singapore International School
(Indonesia)
 Results: Excellent. Student performance improved
dramatically
 Approached World Bank who linked us to the
International Finance Corporation (member of the
World Bank Group)
 Due diligence of schools, systems, curriculum,
standards, philosophies and background
 IFC/World Bank agreed to support SIS to bring
quality education to Indonesia
 Roll-out schools (2003) in upper and middle income
catchment areas
Loans from IFC(member of World Bank group)/Commercial
banks
Pure management using SIS brand name

21. IFC Press release
IFC’s Supports School in First Indonesian Education Loan
Jakarta, June 23, 2004—The International Finance Corporation, the private
sector arm of the World Bank Group, today agreed to provide loans to
support three new pre-primary, primary, and secondary National Plus (NP)
schools and one existing school in major cities on Java and Sumatra
islands. The project will construct two new NP schools and open another
on leased premises. The loan will also support the expansion of the
Singapore International School (SIS) in Jakarta.
…….. “This project will extend access to high-quality primary and secondary
education in Indonesia. It will provide direct benefits to students while
providing a model for educators and teachers that can be used nationally to
further expand educational opportunity” said IFC East Asia Regional
Director Javed Hamid.
………………The project is sponsored by the founders of SIS, which provides
high-quality education modeled after the Singaporean curriculum. The
school has grown gradually to about 400 students from kindergarten through
the first year of secondary school. It occupies leased premises in the
Jakarta neighborhood of Bona Vista.
Guy Ellena, IFC Director for Health and Education, said, “This project will
provide a good education for students, and also provide teacher training,
curriculum development and advanced educational methods that will
ultimately benefit surrounding communities and Indonesia as whole.”

22. IFC (member of the World Bank Group) Senior Investment Staff and Education Experts
Visit SIS schools

23. Re-branding Exercise
 SIS - Singapore International School
Different license (International School)
 SIS - Singapore Indonesian School (for growing middle-upper
income group)
Different license (National Plus School)
• “We do not like the word Indonesian in your school!”
REBRANDING EXERCISE
SIS - Singapore School (the silent „I‟)
like…….
SIA - Singapore Airlines

24. SIS Schools
Singapore International School
Singapore School, Location
(affiliated to Singapore International School)

25. LOCATIONS:
8 campuses – Jakarta: South (Bona Vista),
North-West (Kebun Jeruk), North-East (Kelapa
Gading), North (Pantai Indah Kapuk), Cilegon,
Medan, Semarang and Bandung
Student population: Almost 3,000 students.
Teachers almost 300 expats and almost same
number locals
SIS present aim: 1 iconic SIS school in each of
the Indonesian provinces - 33!

26. Locations SIS
In Jakarta
Excludes
Medan, Cilegon,
Bandung and
Semarang

27. SIS in South
Jakarta

28. SIS, PIK (North Jakarta)

29. SIS, PIK (Performed beyond expectations
when it opened its doors in 2005)

30. SIS, Pantai Indah Kapuk (phase 2 - 2008);
North Jakarta’s Secondary school and Junior
College wing

31. SIS KG
The new SIS KG (N. east) - artist’s impression

32. The new SIS KG (n. east) - Dream comes true. SIS’ largest school in terms of land space:

33. SIS, Kebun Jeruk (west Jakarta) ; Pilot School 1 -
Planned move 2007 to bigger premises in K. Jeruk

34. SIS, Cilegon

35. SIS, Semarang

36. SIS, Medan (North Sumatra) - More than 550 students
in temporary premises

37. SIS, Medan (opening doors at new campus in 2007)

38. 
SIS, Medan

39. SIS BANDUNG – Opening July 2007

40. SIS Bandung – Another view.
Opening July 2007

41. Our Program
Nursery, Pre-School (Kindergarten), Primary
(Grade 1-6), Secondary (Grades 7-10), Pre-
University (Grades 11-12)
International Cambridge examinations at Pr 6
(Gr 6), Sec 2 (Gr 8), Sec 4 (Gr 10), Pre-
University 2 (Gr 12 for entrance to
Universities)

42. SIS
Essential qualities of a SIS student
 Respect for the host or home country and the family
unit
 Willingness to serve the interest of the larger
community
 High regard and thirst for a holistic education
 Understanding and embracing the Information
Technology (IT) around us
 Personal integrity and discipline
 Appreciation of a multicultural and multi-religious
world
 Appreciation of the environment within which we live

43. Pictorial walk into SIS
schools

62. Outdoor Activities

63. Children’s
Day

64. Robotics

65. Sports

66. Music & Drama

69. 1st Graduation Ceremony in Medan

70. Field Trips

71. Leadership Camps

72. Appreciation
of a cosmopolitan world
“UN-Day”

73. SIS
Management and Control
…….we are not a franchise
 Same Board of Governors and Board of Directors providing
common vision and policies
 Same quality educationists with international teaching
experience with career path for teachers
 Common Examinations, policies and systems
 Network that allows sharing (eg.Successful teaching
approaches, Concerns, Meeting minutes etc.)
 Monthly SIS-wide meetings (Board with Principals, Principals
and Vice-Principals, Dept Heads, Administrators)
 Systems that groom leaders
 Common calendar of events
 Good governance and security

75. SIS
Management and Control
 In-House Consultants
 External Consultants (Professor
Gopinathan from NIE)
 Technical Assistance (RI, IFC)

76. SIS
Controls and Appraisals
Independent Appraisals
2002- (0nce every 4 years) SIS Whole school Appraisal - a 6-
month appraisal, senior members of NIE concluded:
“SIS is indeed comparable to the top schools in Singapore in terms of
teaching standards and pupil‟s performance”
2006 - (Yearly) SIS Subject Appraisal - Independent appraisal of the
Chinese Language department (conducted by Dr Chua Chee Lay (NIE
sub-Dean and tutor of Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Mr Lee Choi Lan (NIE) and
Madam Wong Lee Er (mandarin teacher trainer from Singapore)
“SIS standards same as some of the top schools in Singapore…high
standards of Chinese.”

77. SIS
Control and Transparency

78. International accreditation
and certificates
SIS schools are registered Cambridge
centres

80. Primary 6
Cambridge International Primary Achievement Test
Results

81. ENGLISH
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Very Poor Poor Low
Average
High
Average
Very Good Excellent
Score Category
Frequency
Our school performed
exceptionally well in English. 97%
of the students achieved scores
that fell in the ‘High Average’
category and above.
English:

83. Secondary 2
Cambridge International Checkpoint Test
Results

84. Mathematics- Overall
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
very poor poor OK, but
below
average
good
(about
average)
very good excellent
Score Category
Frequency
In Mathematics we did exceptionally
well (5.1).
Nearly 90% of our students received
‘above average’ scores; (20%)
achieved the highest possible score
of 6, meaning they scored higher
than more than 90% of candidates
worldwide.
We are therefore encouraged that
our approach to Mathematics for
both English and ESOL students is
good.
Mathematics:

85. CONGRATULATIONS to:
Nursyafiqah bte M. Ikhbal (Singaporean)
Hyoe Hyun Choi (Korean)
Fernando Yaputra (Indonesian)
Da Sol Lee (Korean)
Victor Brebenar (Romanian)
….. for a perfect score in Mathematics in the Cambridge Secondary 2 International Checkpoint
Examination conducted by Cambridge, UK.
The average score of our Secondary 2 students ranked SIS amongst the top in the world in
Mathematics.
Students who were in SIS for more than 2 years also performed above expectations in English
and Science.
Our Students performed exceptionally well in Mathematics. More than 90%
were above the Cambridge ‘Mean Rank or Better’ mark. Out of this group,
40% achieved ‘Very Good Rank’ mark and 46% achieved the ‘Excellent
Rank’ mark.
For English more than 80% of our students were above the ‘Mean Rank or Better’ mark. Out of this group
23% achieved ‘Very Good Rank’ mark.
In Science their achievement was equally encouraging. 89% were above ‘Mean Rank or Better’ mark. Out
of this group 34% achieved ‘Very Good Rank’ mark.
We are proud of each and every one of them and use this opportunity to extend our Congratulations!
KOMPAS and
The Jakarta Post
(November 15, 2005)

86. Plus SIS Bandung in 2007 -
Almost 3000 students!
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
BV KG PIK Mdn Smg Cil KJ
Students

87. SIS “Halfees fees” project;
a vision reaching reality
 Jak Int‟l School/Brit Int‟l School (embassy started schools) -
US$15,000 (Caucasian teachers with massively impressive
facilities)
Schools upper and middle income groups
 SIS BV - US$8000 (Mixed expats with impressive facilities)
 SIS PIK/KG/KJ - US$4000-5000 (Majority Filipino with facilities)
 SIS Medan, Semarang - US$2700-3000
These are proven sustainable and scalable models!!
Target is one school with appropriate fees in each
Indonesian Province for growing upper and middle
income level

88. SIS “Halfees fees” project;
a vision reaching reality
Next Phase: Schools for lower income groups
 SIS ? (US$1500-1000 with modest facilities) - Local
teachers, different market - different SIS brand name
 SIS ? (US$1000-500) with modest facilities) - the
ultimate aim, different market - different SIS brand
name
How?; Same way we did the National Plus schools
 3 Pilot schools; focus on curriculum,
social and cultural issues
 Under the SIS umbrella; credibility,
control, supervision, training and R&D
 Sustainable and scalable; using local trained (SIS) teachers
When?

89. The Future
 Permanent location for Singapore International School
(R&D and operational hub)
 Permanent location for SIS Medan & SIS KJ
 Continue to roll-out schools for upper and middle
income
 Launch pilot schools for lower income; roll-out
thereafter (different brand name but under the SIS
umbrella and supervision)
 Offer SIS infra-structure in a public-private initiative for
teacher training; 1-1 mentor scheme (Consumer: SIS
lower income schools + national schools)

90. SIS-Medan; Insight
SIS Medan - 500 students to move to new
campus
Problems; Low fees (US$2500), Tsunami
aftermath (Lost land), Construction prices up,
Location of new land 20 mins away
 Solutions; Did not draw down as fees were
slowly increased while maintaining standards,
Land Equity, Gradual Fees increase of fees
(US$2500 to US$2700 to US$3000)

91. SIS-IFC partnership;
Immediate Impact
 SIS BV - US$1 million; infra-structure upgrading, allowing the
release of funds for R&D development National Plus Schools
Immediate Impact - 8 Nat Plus Schools rolled out with 3000
students
– Total of US$45million a year remains in Indonesia,
otherwise students would be in Singapore
(US$15,000 per student)
– Credibility
– Prevent Brain-drain to some extent
– Allowed us to position BV as the anchor of the Nat
Plus Schools
– Concerns for BV - Rent, Facilities, Construction next
door

92. SIS-IFC partnership; Long
Term Impact
Long term impact
• Impetus for 33 Nat Plus Schools planned for
upper and middle income groups (one in each
province)
• Impetus for next phase of Halfees Project ;
schools for lower income
• Impetus of public-private teacher training
initiative

93. Role IFC can play
 Engage seriously to help Indonesian‟s education sector; shocking statistics
shown earlier will only get worse
 Consider a strategic partnership to help us fulfil the “one school in each
province” vision; law supports this. Branch objectives; Potential enormous
(1-2 adoption)
 Software; R&D; Curriculum development and teacher training
 Support SIS schools where commercial banks shy away (lower fees)
 Look at schools with a different eye (interest rates, strict collateral stand,
legal fees)
 Continue to provide technical assistance (annual visits very useful).
Investment officer/education expert & local Jkt office extremely helpful
 Introduce other agencies/financial instruments to our Halfees and public-
private teacher training project
 Publicity

94. SIS .…our strengths
Track-record (market leader in Indonesia)
Credibility (IFC partner, Salim Group, Sinar
Mas, Gleneagles Medan, NISP as lenders, etc)
SIS tested systems in place providing fair
returns to investors and lenders
Ability to mobilize people, experts (NIE, RI,
STU, international educationists, etc)

95. SIS .…our strengths
 Grasped educational psyche of the growing upper
and middle class niche in developing countries
 A valuable arm to the less fortunate and government
with our infra-structure and management expertise
 Only organization in Indonesia that provides
sustainable and scalable models for formal schooling
at various income levels through well thought of
step-by-step approach

96. SIS KG
SIS, KG concept in 2004:SIS, KG concept in 2004: