Jakarta. When it was time for Sony Vasandani, a third-generation Indonesian of Indian descent, to send her son to preschool, she couldn’t find any in Jakarta that lived up to her idea of what a preschool should be all about. Not knowing that this was the first step in her becoming a full-time teacher, educator and trainer, Sony decided to take the education of her children into her own hands. 



“That’s why I started my own school in the garage of my house, for my two kids,” she said. “In the morning, after the car was backed out of the garage, the space was transformed into a preschool.” 



Soon, her friends started to send their children to Sony. It was from these humble beginnings 19 years ago, with so few students you could count them on one hand, that Sunshine Preschool was born. Since those early days, thousands of children have taken their first steps into formal education with Sunshine Preschool. 



Sunshine has long since left the garage, moving to different locations over they years, before Sony acquired some property in Cempaka Putih, Central Jakarta. This is where Sunshine Preschool has been located since last July. 



Currently, 70 children ranging in age from 1 to 6 are enrolled at the school. A staff of 18 looks after the children and attends to their daily needs. 



“Initially, I had more Indian children [in my school], but over the years, more and more Indonesian children came,” Sony said. “Because when I started out, the awareness of the need to send children to an English-speaking school was not yet high. That has changed.”



Sunshine not only provides a place for children to learn, but also offers teaching courses and training. In addition to a curriculum that helps hopeful educators become preschool teachers, the school organizes an education program for teachers who want to deepen or upgrade their knowledge, based on the Montessori method. 



“In 2000, I did my own Montessori course,” Sony said. “It was really life-changing. Through the course, I learned to look at the children very differently. Teaching was never the same after that.” 



The Montessori method of teaching is based on the research of Italian educator and physician Maria Montessori (1870-1952). Its unique approach to educating children is based around the tenets that one should respect the individuality of each child, let them learn things their own way and at their own pace. It also teaches children self-reliance and independence, and how to become an active part of their households, neighborhoods and schools. 



Sony wanted to apply this method of teaching to her own school, but soon discovered there was a lack of qualified teachers. “Teaching is considered an easy job by many, especially at the preschool level — the work hours are not too bad, and it’s easy money,” she said. “But without the proper knowledge, you can do much more damage than good to a child. That’s when I thought, I should just share my knowledge.” 



She started the Sunshine Teacher Training Center in 2005. It was not all smooth sailing, however, mainly because even though Sony had completed the Montessori course herself, initially she didn’t know how to be a professional trainer for others. “It’s very intimidating to stand in front of a group of students and teach when you have never done it before,” she said. “I didn’t have that level of confidence.” 



But with friend and colleague Jenny Amar, Sony took the plunge — including all the ups with the downs that come with training others. 



“The first time Jenny was doing the training, the topic was child psychology,” Sony said. “It was a very dry topic, and while she was sitting in front of the students, we could see some of them falling asleep. 



“But it was good, in a way,” she added, laughing, “because every reaction of our students, we took it as feedback. Our classes now are highly interactive, so nobody is falling asleep anymore.” 



The Montessori education program lasts for a total of 220 hours and takes place three times a week. Currently, 14 students from Indonesia, India and the Philippines are enrolled. Starting this month, Sony has begun to offer Saturday classes as well. 



Students in the course learn about a variety of different topics — from theory and practical exercises like language, mathematics and sensorial skills, to safety, health and nutrition. 



Marie Gonzalez came all the way from the Philippines to take the class. 



“I did a marketing job in the Philippines for several years — something really different from what I am doing now,” she said. “I wanted to reach out, help kids and make a difference in their lives.” 



She came across Sony’s school while browsing the Web. “I could have done this anywhere else,” she said, “but I felt that this was the right place for me.” 



According to Sony, students who complete the training have no trouble finding jobs, if they are in the market. Some of the students aren’t in the program to become teachers, but want to learn more about the Montessori method so they can become better mothers to their own children. 



Alida Nur, an Indonesian who is taking the program, said lots of her friends wanted to send their children to a Montessori school, but that qualified teachers were scarce. “The concept of Montessori is wonderful,” she said. “It is already over 100 years old, but still applicable today.”





Sunshine Preschool and Teacher Training Center

Jl. Cempaka Putih Raya No. 21

Central Jakarta

Tel: 021 422 3733

Online: www.sunshine.or.id

source:  http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/lifeandtimes/montessori-for-jakartas-kids-and-adults/404148

Jakarta. Barack Obama will make a symbolic visit to Istiqlal Mosque when he comes to Indonesia next month, but it will take more than words and gestures to engage Muslim communities around the world, local scholars and Islamic leaders said on Friday as the US president’s preliminary itinerary was released. 



Mainstream Islamic leaders, however, welcomed the visit and urged Indonesians not to protest against  the US leader. 



Ben Rhodes, the US deputy national security adviser, said Obama would arrive on Nov. 9 in the country he lived in for four  years as a child, according to the official White House Web site. 



While here, Obama will give a speech that will focus on “outreach to Muslim communities around the world, while also speaking of Indonesia’s pluralism and tolerance,” Rhodes said.  



Obama’s long-awaited visit will begin with a bilateral meeting with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, to be followed by a joint press conference.



The next day, Obama will pay a visit to the largest mosque in the country with the world’s biggest Muslim population. 



Afterward, he will deliver a speech “to the Indonesian people” at an undisclosed location, the White House said. 



“The Islamic world’s perception toward the United States has not changed yet,” said Bantarto Bandoro, an international affairs expert from the Jakarta-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. 



“That is why he is using the visit to Indonesia to once again send a message to the Islamic world,” he said. “He wants to correct the view that the United States is waging war against Islam.”



Anis Matta, the secretary general of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the largest Islamic party in the country, said he welcomed Obama’s commitment to the Islamic world, but also challenged his policies. 



“Obama’s big test is how he solves the Israel-Palestine conflict,” Anis said. 



Unless Obama finds a real solution in the Middle East, he added, “his rhetoric about Islam-West cooperation will remain mere rhetoric.”



Anis said Obama’s speech here would likely be a repetition of the address he gave in Egypt in June 2009 in which he stressed a renewed relationship between Islam and the West. 



Syafii Maarif, a former chairman of the mainstream Muslim  group Muhammadiyah, said Obama also needed to explain US actions in Afghanistan and Iraq. 



“But people must know that Obama is not omnipotent, he is also tied to the situation in his country,” he said. 



Syafii appealed to Indonesians not to launch protests against Obama’s visit and speech.



Masdar Masudi, deputy chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama, also applauded Obama’s commitment to reach out to the Islamic community and said no Muslim should protest the fact that Obama, a non-Muslim, would be stepping into the country’s largest mosque.



“Muslims are also allowed in churches,” he said. “We’re all God’s followers.” 



Obama postponed plans to visit Indonesia twice in the past year due to domestic crises. His 10-day Asia tour will also include stops in India, South Korea and Japan.

source:  http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/istiqlal-mosque-visit-on-barack-obamas-itinerary-during-indonesia-trip/404036

Pamekasan, E Java (ANTARA News) – Traditional music group Semut Ireng from Pamekasan, Madura, will perform at the State Palace on the occasion of US President Barack Obama`s visit in November.

"According to the invitation we have received, we are expected to be at the palace on November 8," Hannan, the Semut Ireng coach, said here Monday.

Hannan said the traditional music group was to perform at a function to entertain President Obama during his state visit to Indonesia.

He said when it played at the State Palace in November, it would be the fourth time for the traditional music group to perform there within two years.

"Our first performance was in 2008 during a visit by Ecuador`s President, Rafael Correa, the second in 2009 during a visit by Brunai Daruslam`s Sultan Hassanal Boliah, and the third on Indonesia`s Independence Day celebrations in the same year," Hannan said.

Deputy of Youth, Sports and Culture Department in Pamekasan, Halifaturrahman, confirmed the invitation for the musical group to perform at the Palace in November.

"We already know about the request from the President, and it will not be the first time for Semut Ireng to perform at the State Palace," he said.

The Semut Ireng traditional music group is often invited to perform at the State Palace because it is the champion of a national traditional music competition. (*)

source:  http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/1288018067/semut-ireng-music-group-to-perform-for-obama

akarta (ANTARA News) – As many as 60 scientists from 10 countries will attend the International Conference on Materials Science and Technology in Serpong, Banten, from October 19-21, the National Nuclear Power Agency (BATAN) official said.

Dr Evvy Kartini, head of BATAN`s Nuclear Materials, said the scientists that would attend the meeting include Prof Craig M Jense from the USA who is the inventor of hydrogen keeping materials, Prof Dr Masatoshi Arai from Japan, Dr Robert Robinso from Australia and Prof BVR Chowdari from Singapore. Other scientists come from Germany, the Netherlands, India, Thailand, Malaysia and Vietnam.

She said "in the current technology era life cannot be separated from materials science. Even hand phones to vehicles are dependent on the progress of materials science. We will discuss the progress in the science in the meeting," she said.

She said 150 experts and scientists from home would also come and speak at the meeting. Academics from more than 30 universities in the country would also attend the meeting, she said.

She said "we often are not aware that the items we use are getting smaller and smaller or lighter. A lot of products are the results of inventions in materials science. We can now see the battery used in our cellphones is thinner, lighter and lives longer."

She expressed concern that a lot of Indonesians still remained consumers and were not aware of the technology used in the items they used.

She said the meeting was very important for an exchange of experience with regard to latest inventions in the field of materials technology and also served as a place for the country`s scientists to publicize their work to the international world.

She said the meeting had been held since 1996 bi-annually known initially as the Pertemuan Ilmiah IPTEK Bahan (PIIB=Scientific Meeting on Materials Science and Technology). The meeting later which is the seventh is promoted to an international level and invites experts from abroad.

She said it took a "science" diplomacy to be able to stage a large meeting with a limited fund.

"The professors are willing to come upon their institutions` or own expense. I am glad they will meet our invitation," said the nuclear expert, whose name is often carried in a number of international journals.
(Uu.H-YH/HAJM/A014/P003)

source:  http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/1287149682/scientists-from-10-countries-discuss-materials-science-in-serpong

Jakarta. Cocoa bean production may fall 9 percent this year after a longer-than-normal rainy season damaged crops and reduced quality, causing some exporters to seek a delay in shipments, an industry group executive said. 



Output may drop to 500,000 metric tons from 550,000 tons last year, said Zulhefi Sikumbang, chairman of the Indonesian Cocoa Association. 



The group had targeted output of 600,000 tons for this year, he added. 



Indonesia is the largest grower after Ivory Coast and Ghana. Falling supplies may further push up prices of the chocolate ingredient, which hit an almost two-month high on Wednesday. 



A La Nina event has been blamed by industry and government officials for a fall in palm oil and tin output in Indonesia. 



“The October-November period is supposed to be our second harvest, but heavy rain has destroyed our crops,” Zulhefi said. 



“Some exporters have asked their buyers to delay shipments due to limited supplies from farmers.” 



Cocoa-bean exports from South and Central Sulawesi, the country’s main growing region, fell 48 percent to 18,849 tons in September from 36,168 tons in August as heavy rains disrupted shipments, Herman Agan, head of the Central Sulawesi branch of the ICA, said last week. 



Cocoa futures for December delivery gained as much as 1.3 percent on Wednesday in New York to $2,900 a ton, the highest level since Aug. 20. 

source:  http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/naturalresources/wet-weather-sinks-indonesias-cocoa-production/401196