Learning English in Bali. Surf schools in Bali: local or Russian? Local surf school

For several months, "Oh!" travels around the world and in different countries. Today we make a stop in Indonesia, on the paradise island of Bali. Marina Zhemchuzhnikova, mother of two children, lives here and is ready to talk about the local education system.

I live in Bali with my husband Roman and our children: seven-year-old Danila and four-year-old Eva. The son studies at an online school, and the daughter goes to an international kindergarten.

How everything works at my son's school

This year, Danila entered the first grade of an online school, that is, he studies by correspondence, via the Internet. My son has two online lessons in a row twice a week, and at this time you can ask questions in the chat. Classes are held as follows: together with my son, we watch the lesson in electronic form, then we study according to the online textbook and complete video tasks. Usually you need to sing a song, read the text, make a retelling. Then we proceed to written assignments: I give them to Danila myself.

The son studies according to state textbooks, which often contain tasks of this type: "Tell me about the sights of your hometown." The teacher always clarifies that it is about Russia: Danila spent the first three and a half years of his life there.

Learning Danila is very easy: he has long passed the first class program, studying with a Russian-speaking teacher. My son has the same ones as schoolchildren in Russia: autumn, winter and spring for one week and long summer ones.

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Why did we choose this particular school?

Children enter Balinese schools immediately for 6-8 years, and education is paid. First you need to make an impressive contribution, and then, for the entire period of study, pay small amounts every month and year. Since we do not plan to live in Bali for so long, we decided to teach our son by correspondence.

I really don't like this type of study, because I have to study a lot, and besides, I have little time left to just have fun with my family. In addition, the educational process is not yet well established, there are problems with the software, some shortcomings, a lot of bureaucracy. There is no living and other parents. But so far this is the most suitable option for us.

How everything works in a Balinese kindergarten

Eva was born in Bali, and this is the first kindergarten in her life. Children from various countries study here: Chinese, Australians, Russians and, of course, Indonesians. In groups of 12 to 15 kids.

At first, Eva visited the kindergarten with joy, and then for three days in a row she did not want to let me go and cried a lot. I don’t know what secret technique the educators use, but they simply insisted that I leave, and then Eva herself quickly calmed down.

The school year in this kindergarten begins at the end of July, the holidays are three times a week, and the summer holidays last almost the whole of June. Classes are from 8 am to noon, there is also an extended day group where you can stay until 4 pm.

The day in kindergarten begins with exercises, in which teachers also participate. Everyone dances and sings songs. Then classes begin in different classes: modeling, drawing, English, Indonesian, and cooking, and so on. Sometimes the teacher himself may suggest that the children build their own schedule of classes for the day.

Children are fed twice in the kindergarten. In the morning, babies are given cookies or fruit, as well as tea or milk. After class, they have lunch: soup, rice, pasta with chicken or sausages. When children have cooking lessons, they prepare treats for themselves and their parents.

Here it is customary to celebrate with a kindergarten group, and in some interesting place: in a water park, on the beach, in a hotel.

The children are taught by young, cheerful and active teachers, and I like their approach to the educational process. They do not strive to give children a lot of knowledge, they have a different task: to adapt kids to school and adult life.

Much attention is paid to large-scale problems: teachers talk about global warming, about recycling, about how important the contribution of each person is. I can’t say that they provide high-quality and comprehensive knowledge, but the children in the garden are interested.

Increasingly, it is becoming part of the everyday life of modern active people. This word refers to a way of life when you travel not strictly according to the vacation schedule - twice a year for two weeks, but almost constantly you are anywhere, but not at home.

Traveling- These are long, unhurried journeys, turning one into another. Traveling is also understood as a long-term residence in another country, mainly somewhere on the ocean, as a rule, with the rejection of permanent office work.

Usually, travelers are young people without obligations with the opportunity to earn money remotely, who have not yet managed to acquire offspring, or people closer to forty or forty-five, whose children are already quite independent and do not need constant care. Parents of underage children, especially schoolchildren, deny themselves the possibility of long trips; their travel with children abroad is limited to one or two weeks during school holidays.

Someone does not even think about the possibility of “waking up” for a year closer to the ocean, everything suits them anyway, and traveling with children is considered as something out of the ordinary. Others only sigh heavily: “we would like that too, but we have children.” As a result, unfortunate dreamers of distant wanderings begin to wait for better times, which, at times, never come. In general, our fellow citizens are distinguished by the fact that for some reason they believe that a good secondary education cannot be obtained anywhere except in Russia, especially in the countries of Southeast Asia.

But this opinion has nothing to do with the truth. For a long time in many countries there are international schools for children, where, in addition to citizens of the country, foreigners from all over the world study. Including there are international schools in Bali. I would like to talk about one of these schools separately.

The Green School in Ubud was started by John and Cynthia Hardy, a husband and wife who have been permanent residents of Bali for many years. The school is located in the middle of a green forest and is called Green for a reason. Its buildings, far from typical school buildings, are made entirely of bamboo, and lessons are held almost in the open air. The main concept of the school is to bring up harmonious people who are able to take care of the environment.

The school's curriculum includes reading, writing, mathematics and basic sciences, which are taught at the highest level. Since the school is international, your children will have a great opportunity to communicate with children from all over the world, practice their English, expand their social circle.

Great importance in the learning process is given to environmental problems, children are taught the rational use of natural resources. The school also has many creative disciplines. Teaching in this institution meets international standards of secondary education. So, the program for the main academic disciplines at the school is based on the curriculum of the Cambridge school.

Learn and practice

The main slogan of the school "learning by doing" can be translated as learning by doing. This implies that students not only receive theoretical knowledge, but also learn a lot from practical examples. It has been proven that this approach stimulates cognitive interest in children and awakens research qualities.

The elementary school course is based on the development of the child's personality, his intellectual abilities and leadership qualities. Mathematics and English are taught daily. Any creative initiative of the child is encouraged, so the school has such disciplines as drawing, dancing and other arts.

The secondary school continues to teach academic disciplines, and, if necessary, additional classes in subjects are held for those who missed something in the main classes. Also, students are offered many optional courses of interest and extra-curricular thematic activities. As already mentioned, a lot of attention is paid not only to theory, but also to practical exercises, which, unfortunately, is not in Russian schools.

After all, as a rule, it is customary for us to give students knowledge, but at the same time absolutely do not explain how this knowledge can be useful in practice. IN Green school On the contrary, children receive theoretical knowledge and at the same time try to do something with their own hands, applying the acquired knowledge in practice.

Level of study

The high school program corresponds to the Cambridge one, so after graduation your child has a chance to enter the best universities in the world. At the same time, in the educational process, the emphasis is on the fact that by the time of graduation from school the student is a mature and independent person. During the entire learning process from elementary school to high school, a lot of attention is paid to the physical activity of children.

Despite the seemingly relaxed atmosphere, fresh air and eternal summer, the school takes discipline quite seriously, teaches to be polite, respect each other and staff. The school has its own Code of Conduct, for certain faults, students can be expelled. This is especially important, since few people remember discipline and politeness in Russian schools today.

Among the teachers of the school there are both Indonesians and expats. Education in preparatory groups (in other words, in kindergarten) is available for children from 2.5 years old, they are taken to primary school from 6 years old. The cost of studying at the Green School is comparable to the cost of private schools in Moscow and ranges from 6 to 12 thousand US dollars per year. But trust me, it's worth it. Looking at the school website http://www.greenschool.org, looking at the photos, you will most likely not only decide to travel with children, but you yourself will want to become a child again in order to go to study at the Green School.

Friends, if you know other options for teaching children in international schools, write here in the comments! Or write - how did you like or not the unique project of the "Green School in Bali"?

Offers:
- entertaining lessons and language trainings with MASTERI teachers in the most beautiful places in Bali
- speaking practice with a native English speaker from Australia
- the opportunity to live in different parts of Bali and feel its amazing energy
- rest on the secret beaches of the island
- a rich excursion program to the best places of the island (conquest of the volcano, hike to the waterfall, meeting the dawn with dolphins, etc.)
- relaxation and bliss in an art villa in the cultural capital of Bali, among the jungle and rice terraces
- SPA programs
- full support of MASTERY during your stay on the island

At your request, we organize yoga and surfing classes.

More about the program

Most of the classes will be held in the format of a conversation club, discussions and debates with reference to the journey and relevant vocabulary that you will immediately put into practice. A native English speaker from Australia will help you get conversational and improve your communication skills. Our author's trainings on the technique of memorizing words and easy assimilation of all English tenses will help you make a breakthrough in learning English.
For groups with an intermediate level of language proficiency and above, the excursion program will also be held in English for the purpose of deeper immersion in the language.

First we will live in the very south of Bali. We have at our disposal a secluded villa near the ocean, where we will live, study English and have fun together. You will relax on the virgin beaches of the island. You can hardly find them in guidebooks, travel agents know nothing about them. Prosuch places are not told to everyone - this is the privilege of MASTERY's friends.

In the middle of the journey, a few days are waiting for you at the Art Villa of a French artist in Ubud - the cultural capital of Bali among the jungle, stretching along a mountain river. This is a place of inspiration for creative people from all over the world and those who love yoga, self-discovery and organic food. Ubud is famous all over the world for its spa treatments, so we included a two-hour relaxation in one of the best salons in Bali into the program.

The people of the future are being educated at the Green School, which has been operating in Bali since 2008. The founders of the school, a married couple John and Cynthia Hardy, sought to create a new type of educational institution where children would not have to be forced to study. And they succeeded: the students of the Green School eagerly strive for new knowledge and go to classes with joy. And adults who get to the Green School with excursions secretly envy the "green" schoolchildren.

You can study at school from the age of 3. For the youngest, a kindergarten was opened here, and older children have access to primary, secondary and higher school programs. Classes at the school are built in the Three Frame Day format, which assumes that every day for students is divided into three thematic blocks and is filled with interesting activities. Children study mathematics and physics, English and other foreign languages. Much attention is paid to aesthetic education: schoolchildren get acquainted with musical theory and devote time to creativity every day. And, of course, ecology: children are taught to live in harmony with nature, to protect the environment and the animals that inhabit it. The school even has a small zoo. The main secret of the Green School is practical exercises. Here you can learn how to make chocolate or make paper, grow bananas or create art installations. Classes are held in English, but for children whose native language is not English, there is a special program.

The Green School is located in a picturesque Balinese forest near Ubud. The territory of the school is huge - about 8 hectares, but you won't get lost - signs are carefully placed everywhere. School buildings are of particular interest - because of their unusual shape, the school resembles a fairy-tale village. There are no walls in the classrooms, so classes are always held outdoors. Bamboo houses were built according to the project of the Ibuku architectural bureau and are of great interest to tourists, for whom excursions are conducted around the territory.

The academic year starts in August and ends in June. In addition, there are children's camps in the Green School, where you can come for a short course of cognitive classes. To become a student of the Green School, you need to fill out a form on the website. After that, all applicants will have to pass an interview with teachers, according to the results of which the child can be enrolled in the school. Tuition at school is paid, one month of study will cost about $ 1,000.

HOORAY! Yesterday was an important and significant day! Yesterday, July 14, 2014, our Misha went to international school in Bali! It’s rather unusual that the school year started on July 14 🙂 But that’s okay, but the weather met us directly “on September 1st”, as most often happens in Russia on Knowledge Day - cloudy and raining 🙂 We chose an international (international) school - Doremi Excellent School (DES) but more on that below...

So, once again I want to voice the importance and excitement of this moment. Mikhail, one might say, is a pioneer among all our relatives who will study at an international school, which, frankly, makes me proud! Moving forward and discovering a completely new world is always great!

A little backstory...

So the school DOREMI. At first we wanted to join another school - a bigger, more popular, more expensive one, although it would take about an hour to get to it from home. However, at the right time there were no empty seats... There was no time to despair (and in general you should never despair 😉), The start of the school year was already on the nose. On arrival from school home for 2! hours on the internet Natasha"Plan B" was immediately found - an international school DOREMI, located from our house in 3-5 minutes by bike / car. Immediately sat down and went to watch! The school turned out to be quite nice, small and neat.

Well, here, in fact, September 1… i.e. the 14 th of July🙂 Everyone got into the car and went to school, a tropical downpour started on the way) It was not there for a very long time, and on such a school holiday memories just flooded in, for some reason I always remember this weather on September 1 🙂 We are approaching the school , right to the entrance, the entrance under the roof - everything is comfortable, the guards immediately run up and open the doors, kindly help the passengers to get out - a trifle, but it's nice, damn it 🙂

In general, we left Misha alone with his new school and new class, and we ourselves went home. Upon his return, Misha already said that there were no lessons today as such. There was an acquaintance with all the teachers who came in turn and talked about themselves and their subject. Then there was something similar to fun starts.

We think the child ready- he can ask the guards to call his parents, buy food for himself, on the first day he met many classmates and already found some common interests, played football, tried to talk to a Japanese classmate who neither speaks English nor Indonesian foot in the tooth." I won almost the whole class in arm wrestling (took 2nd place) - apparently all the guys do this when they meet new people - we even did this in college, probably to understand - who can be molested and who is better not to 😉

Alexey Maryaninov: By the way, the price is very budgetary) Most international schools in Bali have a much higher price tag. Misha speaks quite well, his vocabulary is already large. I repeatedly noticed that he can calmly stand with classmates and communicate in English ... crooked and askew so far, of course, but the psychological barrier of communication in a foreign language has already been passed - that's for sure. So far, nothing has been decided on the account of Russian education, but for sure the 4th grade will be studied at home using Russian textbooks additionally. Perhaps we will decide a little later to register at a Russian school in Indonesia on another island, where it is possible to take exams externally, and finish at least elementary school with an official piece of paper ... but this is still in our thoughts. If we decide, then, of course, there will be a separate article about this)

Olga Petrova: Alexey, is it possible that the next admission to the school will be only in July 15? Yes, you're right, it's a good price. I would send the children to your school, but it's far from us...we live in Canggu. Either we have to ride, or we will continue to look.

Alexey Maryaninov: Olga, I think that you can apply at any time. It's too far to drive from Canggu :)

Ragimat: Hello, in what area in Bali is the DOREMI school

Alexey Maryaninov: Hello, Ragimat. The school belongs to Denpasar, and in general the territorial area, it seems to me, is Renon. Here is a link to the school, there is a map with an index https://ru.foursquare.com/v/doremi-excellent-school-des/4c103d10ce57c928e7a381d2

Milena: Does your school provide an opportunity to get an International Basic Certificate of Secondary Education, recognized all over the world?

Alexey Maryaninov: Milena, I can’t say about recognition all over the world :) And, to be honest, I don’t think that anyone can say this 100%. I am sure that there are many universities that decide for themselves what to take into account and what not. However, this school gives an international certificate, as I understand it. It's just not so important for us, because. we do not consider this school as a place of permanent study for Misha. If you are interested in such subtleties, then you can safely approach the director - he is a very sweet and friendly uncle.

Guest: Alex, good afternoon. Please tell me - how is your son's education? Did you join the team? Is the course entirely in English? From native speakers? And about the cost - it's not entirely clear. For a year it turns out about 1000 dollars in total? Exploring Bali for a long term move. School is very important. Thank you

Alexey Maryaninov: Good afternoon. In principle, Misha likes everything, he joined the team, communicates quite actively with everyone in English, goes to extracurricular classes. Teaching is partly in English, partly in Indonesian. In English 3 subjects - English, mathematics and science. In the future, they plan to expand the list of subjects in English. The monthly payment is about 4,500 rubles, a total of 54 thousand rubles a year + at the beginning of the year about 30 thousand (depending on the class and on how many years you want to pay right away). It's all in the price :)

Oleg Almaev: Alexander, do you communicate more with residents in Indonesian or English? If not difficult, write the answer to [email protected]

Alexey Maryaninov: Oleg, if the question is still for me, then my name is Alexey :)))) My wife and I don’t know Indonesian, so communication with the locals takes place in English, and even then this communication is quite minimal (shops, restaurants, which - the staff). We have enough Russian-speaking friends)

Guest: Good afternoon! Alexey, how are things with the visa? Was the child registered at school? Parents, how are guardians made out?

Alexey Maryaninov: Good afternoon, Zhanna! We are actually still on a social visa :) The school offered to make a student one, but the school naturally acts only as a "sponsor" and makes a sponsorship letter, and you pay all the visa costs yourself. I don't know about the parents, but I don't think so.

Alexey Maryaninov: Jeanne, yes, yes, exactly. For the Balinese, all Russians, if not even whites, are all friends and brothers. I'm glad that they remember and remember us there :) Of course, we played such a concert for them there :) How do you like the school? How is the director?

Guest: The school is very nice, everyone is friendly. The director made a special impression - intelligent, sociable, hospitable! How quickly did Misha manage to get used to school?

Alexey Maryaninov: The director is a very caring and intelligent person, that's for sure. Misha quickly got used to it. Not immediately, of course, but I think that after two months he was already there like a fish in water, he met many, I often saw how he talked with high school students (they showed more interest in him, and they spoke English at a good level) . I went to classmates for my birthday, signed up for sports clubs, in general, everything is like in a regular school :) What class did you go to?

Guest: In the first and in the second! We have a girl and a girl :)

Alexey Maryaninov: Cool!!! :)

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