From Local to International
The International Vision of SMPN 3 Sibolga

DITTA MANULLANG, a 9th grade student stood in front of the classroom. In front of her classmates she spoke about her life. "I want telling you about my life [sic]," said Dita. Dita has never taken an English course outside school. She has learnt English at her school. But she was able to give a talk for more than five minutes in English. Dita is just one of the students of SMPN 3 Sibolga able to communicate in English. Through an English Morning (EM) activity, the school encourages students to be confident in speaking English.

Every week students take turns giving speeches in English in the school yard. EM started about three months ago. In the beginning, it was for teachers only. Teachers took turns in giving speeches in English. They were encouraged to show their skills in English speaking. After running for a month, EM activity started to involve the students. The students are free to choose the topic for their speeches. Risty Rahma Chaniago, a 9th grade student, chose 'the positive impact of learning English for students' as her topic. According to the principal, Muham-mad Yazid, S.Pd, MAP, EM aims to assimilate students to using the English language. This is all part of Pak Yazid’s mission to make SMPN 3 Sibolga an international standard school.

Partnership

Besides encouraging his students to communicate in English, Pak Yazid has also made improvements to the school infrastructure. Through a partnership with parents and community, Pak Yazid has raised funds to start making the school an international standard school. The first international class got support from Bank Indonesia (BI) and for the second international class, they collaborated with PT. Pelabuhan Indonesia (Pelindo).

The support was gained through CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) programs. According to Pak Yazid, to get supports from business or the community is not easy. They usually ask for a guarantee of quality in return. " They make constant demands for a good level of achievement by SMPN3 Sibolga, " said the principal.

Teaching and Learning Processes

With DBE3 support, the teaching and learning processes at SMPN 3 have developed progressively. The learning process is now more fun and students have become more creative. " DBE3 has had large impact, " said Pak Yazid. According to Pak Yazid the teaching and learning model which emphasizes contextual teaching and learning supports his vision to make SMPN 3 Sibolga an international standard school. And the model also make students enthusiastic about learning.