"
Breathe, keep breathing. Don't lose your nerve" -
Radiohead



Page 69: Let’s Celebrate The Thought of Education For All.

/ Monday, June 27, 2011 /
Once, a friend named Galuh posted a simple yet really nice writing about school in her blog:

How Do You Define School?

Once i heard someone said, "I don’tt need school. School's sucks.  Etc".
As for me, i didn’t go to school in order to please my parent.
I do love school. and i think school is more than just book, education and stuff.
It’s about attitude, ethic, and commitment.

If you think that school is boring,you are clearly can't see what's beneath.
How do you manage yourself facing the sucky lecturer?
How do you deal with rough schedule while you were having so much fun making money?
How do you find yourself working on assignment or thesis calmly while deadline is tight on?
How do you straighten up your priorities?How do you arrange a relationship with your school mate, how do you socialize?
How do you set yourself learning in group of friends and can you be a leader?
It is not easy. Yet i find its challenging.

You being smart is useless when you don’t have that kind atttitude.
Because that’s the system in life, like it or not you gotta deal with it.
School raises you to be that kind of person. School gave you busy-sucky lecturer, lots of assignment, bad grade when you have tried your best and kick your ass when you start to not obey their rules. I know its sucks. But honey.. so does life.

I’m feeling lucky that my dad supported me until i finish my postgrad.
Tough, I’m envy people who have the opportunity to go abroad for education.
Notice that our education system here in Indonesia is totally sucks.But when you can go through the suckiest, then you can go for anything, right?

So here i am, live with it. Try my best to finish my postgraduate.
Is not somehow always about the title or how are you gonna get a perfect job after.
It’s about how you finish something that you've started... perfectly.
So if you're one of those students that keeps on muttering all time saying,
"School sucks!" Well.. dont..

Believe me.. it’s a luxury.

---

When I read it, all I can say was “I couldn't agree more”. And that punch line, that school is a luxury, is true.  Especially if you know how expensive schools are, nowadays. How some kids couldn’t go to school because of their parent’s financial problem, or worse,
If they have to work in the street because they think it’s the only way to survive. Becoming beggar, busk, or other job just because people around them told them that’s the best they could do. What I hate most is when those people use kids to get our sympathy, empathy, and of course, our money. By that, they also inheriting some kind of fatalism; that you can get money as easy as that, you don’t have to go to school.

Last Saturday (25/6), Sekolah Anak Jalanan (SAJA) was celebrating graduation for kindergarten students, coincided with their 10th anniversary. It’s been a year – or more, kinda forgot – since I enter that small rented building for the first time. Instead of teaching, I’ve learn a lot of things from this place. What impressed me most from the headmaster and teachers at SAJA are their dedication and spirit to persuade the students – and their parents – that they should believe they could reach a better life through education. Your future is not always determined by where you were born, or your parent’s job.

Back to the event, we can’t afford to rent a building for it, while the class room is too small. The banner is made without the date print on it because our headmaster thought we can use it again in subsequent years, as long as the colors stay still. But, even if we have the money to rent, it would be much wiser to save it for much important needs. On the other side, I think students could learn to appreciate what they have and being independent with it. For not being ashamed of who they are; a bright and fun kid who finally graduate and ready for next level at school. Moreover, donors can see the real situation and how SAJA manage the funds they’d gave. So we use the closest space we could find: under the bridge. It’s free, it’s quite wide. Yes, it’s kinda smelly each time garbage truck passing-by and it’s noisy when the lorry was putting down their cargo. But everyone seems enjoying the show. :D

Lotsa arts thingy such as dancing, singing, and poetry readings performed at the show, not only from kindergarten students, but also from SAJA elementary school students. My favorite student, Zildan, was reciting poetry smoothly. I know maybe I shouldn’t call one child as favorite. But this little guy, oh, he catches my eyes when I came for the first time at SAJA. He was eagerly asking words in English, he’s smart, and he’s really nice with other kids. I admit I’m a lame teacher. Often came late for the first session for class A at Saturday. Sometimes I didn’t show up. The thing is I usually have deadline at Friday that makes me stay at office, sometimes until 3 or 4 AM in the next day. So please have mercy on me if I tell you that it’s hard to wake up and get prepare to be at SAJA at 8 AM. :p

So, Happy 10th anniversary, SAJA! I hope you keep the spirit to give education for those who needed it.
Because, citing philosopher and educational reformer, John Dewey, “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.”

:)






this is Zildan, my fav student :)

giving certifications



lovely colleagues



:)



















nervous :p


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