During my stay in Indonesia, many schools are in a race to achieve the status of “school of international  standards” (Sekolah Berstandar (Bertaraf or Berwawasan) Internasional or SBI). Very often these schools see a need for the use of ICT for teaching and learning. However, often, in Indonesia, what usually happens is that the school only will make a plunge to purchase computers. these computers would then be placed in computer laboratories and vendors or some in-house trainer will be hired to teach the students of the school various software,and usually Microsoft-based ones too. Other than these, often the investment in the hardware is the only serious thing done with regards to ICT use in the school.

It is still rare for schools in Indonesia aspiring to be SBIs to think seriously about how the hardware that has been invested is to be put to serious use by all involved in the school. For example, how often is planning done to prepare the teachers to use this hardware to help them in their main preoccupation which is teaching? Teachers are somehow expected to be able to use ICT through some invisible osmosis-like process. Where or who that osmotic process is to begin from is often unclear.

What framework is there for the use of ICT in such schools? Usually if ICT is used it is not planned and the IT tools in the school will be used in a random and sporadic manner. Often the learning of software like Dreamweaver, CorelDraw and other applications, for example, will be touted as examples of how the students of these schools are moving forward into the ICT era. Few stop to ask if this is indeed the way to go. Indeed the truth is many schools are groping in the dark with regards to the use of ICT for education. Even fewer see a need to do have a bird’s eye view of how ICT is implemented for the betterment of the whole school.

I believe that Indonesian schools need assistance with an ICT framework for their schools. This is important because not only can ICT give the schools a push up in their drive to be schools of international standards but also because the investment in an ICT infrastructure and hardware is usually very high. It would be criminal if the investment is done in ad hoc manner. It will have to be relevant to the needs of schools aspiring to become major players in education. It will be a framework that will allow for the involvement of all the stakeholders of the school. It will also be a very realistic approach to the use of IT that considers the changing roles of the work force of the future.

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