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Education for Children
Early Learning Centres
All three preschools also benefit from health and nutrition programmes and are visited on a regular basis by FMCH doctors and health educators. FMCH employs six full time early year teachers, two at each facility where the aim is to provide a happy, safe and secure environment in which the children can learn to interact with others in a friendly and co-operative manner, learning through play and having equal access to facilities.
Children from three to six years old attend preschool up to five times each week depending upon their age. The five and six year olds attend every morning, and the younger children two afternoons a week. Children attending the feeding programme learn and play alongside children from low income families in the surrounding community. Scholarships for Primary School Education Each scholarship costs about Rp 900,000 per year (approx. $US 97 or 53 UK pounds per year). This covers the cost of one years school fees, school text books, stationary, a school bag and a pair of shoes. FMCH regularly monitors every child’s development and Sponsors receive a progress report every six months. FMCH would be delighted to hear from you if you would like to be a potential
sponsors. Every child who is sponsored has the opportunity to complete
their education. This will in turn starts them on the road to a brighter
future. If you wish to participate in our scholarship scheme or wish to
sponsor a teacher or preschool, please Contact
Us or alternatively see our Donate page.
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Only
one in five (20%) of children below the ages of 6 years old receives preschool
education in Indonesia; and those that are lucky enough to have received,
it are likely to have been brought up amongst the middle or upper classes.
The cost of preschool education makes it unaffordable for many, particularly
the poor." (UNICEF: Annex to the Country Strategy Paper 2001- 2005).
Pre primary school education is of great importance as it prepares the
child for education later on in life. Without it, the child's readiness
for learning is considerably reduced.
The
Foundation for Mother and Child Health operates three early learning centres
with a total school role of 133. Its main preschool facility in Cipete,
South Jakarta has a school role of 50, a second facility in Kemang Timur
has 42 students and a third preschool in Pondok Cabe, has a school role
of 41. The Foundation works closely with low income communities, some
of whom live on or nearby garbage dumps in Jakarta. The facility in the
Pondok Cabe area provides preschool education for children living on one
such scavenger site.
Opportunities
are provided and support given so that every child can achieve their full
potential. The curriculum the teachers use is designed to meet the children’s
needs through structured play and educational activities, developing language,
mathematical, physical, creative, personal and social skills. 
Parents
make a very modest monthly contribution to the cost of the supplies for
the school: Rp 5000 or Rp 6000 per month depending upon which class their
child attends. This is the equivalent of US 55 cents or 30 p per month.
In addition to offsetting some of the cost, this contribution signifies
the importance of their involvement in the community and their interest
in the benefits of the programme for their children.
When
children reach the age of 7, assuming their parents can afford the school
fees, they start attending the local state school. It was a cause of concern
to the Foundation for Mother and Child Health that some children, many
of whom attended either our feeding programmes and/or our early learning
centres, dropped out of primary school after one or two years due to lack
of funding. Hence a school fees scholarship system was set up to assist
these needy children and their siblings. Currently 73 children are attending
state primary school on FMCH scholarships: 41 girls and 32 boys.