Brunswick North West Primary School
Thank you for the opportunity to participate in the Guru Bantu Program.
Ibu Fatika spent two weeks at BNW Primary School and students thoroughly enjoyed having her learning with them. As well as opportunities to practise listening and speaking with a native speaker, children asked Ibu Fatika LOTS of questions which expanded their understanding of Indonesia.
As well as teaching classes how to play congklak and running an editing native speaker eye over many of my home made resources, Ibu Fatika was able to fit in with and add her lived experience to what we were currently learning about. Seniors were in the middle of a unit called ‘Mau Ke Mana?’ focussed on pronunciation and cultural fluency for preventing misunderstandings so Ibu Fatika’s insights and contributions were extremely valuable here. She helped Middles preparing to read books they had written to junior students. Juniors were busy with functional language, to help us practise ‘lipat’, she taught students to lipat and lipat until they had made traditional headdresses from West Sumatra: a big hit. She was great at jumping in and helping students who had been away to catch up and had a natural repour with many of our neurodiverse students. Ibu Fatika was also happy to help out marking spelling tests and creating classroom displays.
Our only disappointment was that she couldn’t stay longer!
Thank you for helping to bring Indonesian culture and language to life in our classrooms, programs like these really help students to find relevance in learning to speak Indonesian.
Echuca Primary School
As a non-native Indonesian speaker, working in a rural area with limited access to native speakers or Indonesian culture, it is fantastic to have an opportunity for me to interact and work with an Indonesian teacher.
My students have limited or no access to Indonesian native speakers and Indonesian culture, so programs such as Guru Bantu are invaluable in providing enjoyable experiences and increasing their motivation and learning outcomes.
Good opportunity for personal improvement in my pronunciation and vocabulary.
The program enhanced the promotion of our Indonesian program throughout the school and community.
Opportunity to create links between students in Indonesia and my students – eg pen pal letters.
A group of grade 3-4 students learned a Javanese dance (extracurricular enrichment program) and performed it for the school students and parents.
Students enjoyed meeting and interacting with our Guru Bantu.
Guru Bantu enriched all of my Indonesian classes during the two weeks.
Thomas Carr College
Saya dibantu oleh Siti Kholifah selama sebulan, dan Siti sangat membantu tidak hanya saya juga rekan-rekan departemen Bahasa Indonesia di Thomas Carr College.
Dia sudah diminta untuk mengerjakan tugas-tugas berikut:
-membuat poster
-mempersiapkan Bahasa pengajaran
-mengajar tata Bahasa
-membuat lesson plan untuk topik baru
-membantu di kelas
-berlatih percakapan dengan kelas 12
-membantu anak yang ketinggalan bahan di kelas karena baru pulang dari Liburan/sakit
Scotch College
Bu Melody-Fleur Watterson, Head of Indonesian, Scotch College, successfully applied (two years running now), for our Indonesian Department to be involved in a program called “Guru Bantu” (Indonesian Assistant Teacher). This program is organised by VILTA (Victorian Indonesian Language Teachers Association). For the past 3 years it’s been online. In 2022, Scotch had 2 Indonesian University students (teaching assistants), Alif & Sonya, Zooming into our Indonesian classes daily, for four weeks, discussing with and presenting to our students. It was great!
In 2023, VILTA arranged for the Indonesian University student Assistant Teachers, the Guru Bantu’s, to come to Melbourne. Host schools were asked to provide accommodation, meals and transport. In return we have a live-in Indonesian Assistant Teacher in all of our Indonesian classes! Our 'Guru Bantu' helps deliver cultural programs, prepare teaching materials, enhance subject mastery, and increase student confidence in their conversation skills.
Prior to involvement in the program, the Indonesian Guru Bantu candidates are trained intensively by VILTA, covering; Children protection based on the DET module, The Victorian Curriculum and Teaching Indonesian as a Second Language methods.
In 2023 the dates were 24 July - 4 August 2023; a two-week program. However, knowing that 2 weeks disappears very fast, Bu Melody-Fleur requested support from Scotch College and from VILTA to extend our Guru Bantu’s stay to FOUR weeks, until 22nd August.
Introducing Bayu Prihantoro;
Our Indonesian Assistant Teacher (Guru Bantu) was Mr Bayu Prihantoro. He is nearly finished his Education degree at Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta (UNY), with methodology in Fine Arts and teaching Indonesian Language. Once he returns to Indonesia he will sit the interview panel for his dissertation, then he will graduate. His one month at Scotch College has been credited to his University Course, as a teaching practicum.
Bayu has impressive skills in drawing manual/digital, making batik (Indonesian wax resist fabric dying) and making wayang kulit (Indonesian shadow puppets). He is an established, prolific, graphic designer and illustrator in Indonesia.
He has very good English. He is reasonably well-travelled in the Asian region, including recently on a program in Nepal for a few months, and thus, is world aware. He is very grateful & appreciative; very well organised; optimistic and forward thinking; punctual and professional.
During Bayu’s stay;
Bayu attended all Years 7-12 Indonesian lessons. He formed positive relationships with all the students. The students loved him and were very excited when he turned up to their classes.
He worked with Bu Melody-Fleur and Bu Anna on developing resources for the department, such as listening tracks, video recordings, colourful canva presentations, posters, and more.
He presented informative, engaging and interactive classes on batik (Indonesian wax resist fabric dying) and making wayang kulit (Indonesian shadow puppets), to our Year 7-9 students.
We even put on Wayang Kulit performances with our students! And our students created simple batik designs with wax crayons and watercolours. Bayu presented Jamu (Indonesian traditional herbal medicine) to our Year 10 & 12 classes.
He worked with the year 11 Indonesian class on preparing them for the Model UN Conference, and he accompanied and supported them on the day.
Bayu taught lessons on Indonesian Grammar to our year 10s & 11s, with some excellent, clear descriptions and interactive examples.
Bayu visited Healesville Sanctuary, joined the French/German Exchange Excursion to Sovereign Hill, and joined a Year 7 Art Excursion to Melbourne NOW. He visited a number of Melbourne galleries and art exhibitions.
Bayu had a meeting with the Scotch College principal, Dr Scott Marsh, to exchange gifts & discuss merits of the program.
Scotch had a visit from Ms Arik, Bayu’s supervisor at UNY, for a day, so she could observe Bayu on his placement.
In addition, we had a visit from Dr Mukhamad Najib, the Education Attaché from the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia, in Canberra, along with members of the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Melbourne. We had a meeting to discuss the potential for expanding future Guru Bantu programs. We discussed increasing the stay from 2 weeks to 6-12 months, broadening the pool of Indonesian Pre-Service Teachers to other universities, Indonesia-wide, types of support that could be offered from host schools, etc. Bayu was particularly helpful during this meeting, presenting the position of the Indonesian university student in such programs.
Funding and support;
Whilst the Guru bantu program is facilitated by VILTA in cooperation with UNY, the Guru Bantu’s themselves are self-funded. Bayu paid for his own visa and flights, and brought some of his own spending money. This is no mean feat, as Bayu earns a meagre student minimum wage in Indonesia; at commonly a tenth of Australia’s wages/economy. This makes studying and living whilst saving for an overseas trip very challenging.
Our Indonesian Assistant Teacher was accommodated in the Scotch College boarding precinct, in the Isobel apartment. He joined the boarders for meals. He was provided with a Scotch Staff MYKI. He was not paid any allowance.
As we requested he stay longer, at such short notice, Bayu had to re-book his return flight. Scotch paid for this change-of-flight fee.
As we only had the apartment for set dates, Bayu was also accommodated at Bu Melody-Fleur’s house for the first weekend, and his final week in Melbourne. Bu Melody-Fleur entertained, showed him around, and fed Bayu during these times, and during other weekends, too.
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