Lessons from the kids

School Programmes (Halaban and Aras Napal)

Where the learning was a 2-way thing 

I still remember my feelings towards conducting an environmental lesson for Sumatran primary school children last year during OSL and my mixed feelings towards it. Not really because we had to conduct the class in Bahasa (though that did add to the nervousness last year) but rather because I was uncomfortable with the act of trying, in my capacity as a foreigner, to teach the local children about their own forest. But now, I don't have that feeling anymore in the sense that I understand that what we're doing is really not so much of teaching and telling the local kids how they should protect their forests (because I still believe that I have no right to impose my views on them), but it's more of sharing what we've learnt with the team restorasi (restoration team). GPS has helped to clear up the aim of these school programmes for me, which I was quite uncertain about last year. So our role during these school visits is essentially to act as a medium to transfer the local knowledge that we learnt from the team restorasi in Besitang as well as the lessons learnt about the Leuser ecosystem from the rangers at Aras Napal, to the local children. 

The important thing to understand during service learning trips is that it is never about you, the foreigner, as an individual. It's really about how you can fit into the local system to provide a service that works best for the local people. As an anthropology student, I've learnt that it's important to learn how to see the world through the locals' eyes. 

When we interacted with the local children at their schools, it has never failed to amaze me how enthusiastic they are about learning and acquiring new skills and knowledge. This goes especially for the school at Aras Napal, where there are only 50 students spanning the whole 6 cohorts - this decrease in students due to a flood that hit the vicinity a couple of years ago. As a result, the school (as compared to others like at the Halaban village), is very basic and only contains only the bare necessities. Each class has a blackboard, a teacher's desk and a couple of chairs and tables. The staff room contains an assortment of loose items and some books, furnished with a 2 to 3 tables and chairs, including a little gong hanging from the wall that acts as the school bell when hit. And outside, there is a field for the children to play. 

After the school programme at Aras Napal, while we were staying back to paint the school tables and chairs, one of the 10-year old girls from my class came up to me, and before long, her younger sister and 6 other boys (7-11years old) joined and we talked. Most of them want to be doctors or teachers and don't want to pursue the farming career of their parents. What always amazes me is their hunger to learn. One of the girls (of a name that unfortunately slips my mind) answered that, no she does not like having only 3 people in her cohort/class despite having more 1-1 time with the teacher, because with more people in class, she can hear more opinions and perspectives and that will help her learning better. When asked if she would like to have have longer school hours, she did not hesitate to reply, yes, because there's so much more to learn. 

It's funny and also sad how there are children like her on one hand, who appear to not have enough education and want more, and then there are children of the same age (that i interact with in the Singapore Lyric Opera Children's Choir) who complain of having too much school. 

Video from our OSL trip 2012 to SD Gotong Royong (Gotong Royong Primary School)

Teaching the kids Taman Yang Paling Indah (local song Ari taught us last year)

Taman yang paling indah (the most beautiful garden)

Hanya taman kami (is our garden)

Tempat bermain (Where there is playing)

berteman banyak (there are lots of friends)

Itulah taman (that is the garden)

taman paling indah (the most beautiful garden)