When my child first joined Universal School in Kemayoran
Jakarta, my first thoughts were positive and I was glad to have found a safe
and nurturing environment for my child. Unfortunately, I am sorry to say that
less than two months into the term, those thoughts and feelings have changed
drastically. The events during our short time there have shown Universal School
Kemayoran and its Principal to be rude, irresponsible, selfish and
misogynistic. None of these qualities should be acceptable in any professional
environment, especially one that holds the responsibility of educating our
future generation.
During my child’s second month, there was school event with
a Dress up Competition. Students were asked to create a costume according to a
certain theme. As requested by the school, I informed the class teacher that my
child would join, as well as what costume had been chosen. We spent all week working
on the costume together.
Children left to wander alone with no lunch at Universal School Jakarta
After coming home from work on the day of the show, I asked
him how it went. Very sadly, I was informed that he didn’t join the show at
all. When asked why, he said he was confused and didn’t know where to go, and
before he knew it the show had already started and he was too late. This made
me very sad, as I knew how much he had been looking forward to the show. I
wondered how a child whose teacher already knows he is part of the show can
manage to forget about him.
While talking to my child that day, I discovered another
very disturbing thing. Normally, I will pack his lunch for him to take to
school. However, there is also a canteen available at the school, although of
course first-graders will need help in getting lunch from the canteen if they
did not bring any. Today was one of the days that I gave him some money to get
food at the canteen instead of packing lunch. When I asked him what he chose
for lunch, I was extremely distressed to learn that he hadn’t eaten anything
all day until I came home at 6PM! He leaves for school at 6:30 AM, which means
he hadn’t had anything to eat since 6 AM.
Now I know that he is a shy child, and perhaps he just
didn’t mention that he needed to get food from the canteen that day. To my
dismay, he told me that he had in fact informed the teacher that he didn’t
bring lunch, but he was told to just wash his hands and sit down.
No parent wants to hear that their child had gone 12 hours
without food, and missed out on a special event simply because he was confused
without a teacher to guide him. After all, as parents, we trust the school that
we choose to be responsible for our children’s well-being during school hours. Being
deeply hurt and upset that my son did not have any food all day even though he
had brought his money for a canteen lunch, and did not get to join the show he
worked so hard for, I wrote a letter to his teacher. I hoped that this was a
one-time mishap and that Universal School really was the responsible and caring
school I originally thought it was.
Sad to say, Universal School showed itself to be neither
responsible nor caring. The following day when my son returned from school, he
told me that the teacher scolded him after he had given her the letter, telling
him that he never informed her of his intentions to join the school show. This
is completely false, as it is written in his diary. At Universal School Jakarta,
the student diary is the usual means whereby the teachers communicate with
parents.
Nevertheless, I tried my best to give Universal School the
benefit of the doubt. There was a Parent Teacher meeting, and I was invited to
speak with the Head Principal. I hoped that we could get matters clarified.
Upon arrival in the principal’s office, I was immediately
reprimanded for the letter that I wrote to his teacher, saying that I should
not “accuse the school.” The ‘head principal’ then proceeded to claim that the
school is not responsible to make sure children have food. If the school is not
responsible for the children during school hours, then who is? He continued by
telling me that the teacher is “too busy” – something that I have heard from my
son on multiple occasions.
Apparently she is too busy being a teacher to care about the
children in her class.
At this point, the ‘head principal’ began to shout at me for
using the word “starve” in the letter I wrote to my son’s teacher. Yes, I know
my son is not going to “starve” in one day, but nevertheless, Universal School
did in fact force my son to spend an entire day without food. Whether from a
lack of concern or pure and simple negligence, that is for the teacher to
decide.
It was extremely disturbing to know that this is the way the
Universal School treats parents when they bring up a genuine concern. It was
clear that they were going for the intimidation tactic, although I’m not
completely sure why. I sat alone in front of the large desk between the head
principal and I, while his son (also a principal) sat beside me, both of them
cornering me and shouting at me.
During this entire exchange, my son was in the room as well.
He sat curled up at the corner of the sofa to the side of the room, clearly
traumatized by these two men shouting at me, and no doubt believing that this
was his fault.
Rude and Sexist Head Principal & Management at Universal School Jakarta
Since there was no conclusion to be reached regarding the
lunch, I moved on to the next topic of concern. Now, I was told that the reason
my son did not join the show was because he was late for class.
My son goes to school in a school bus together with many
other children from the same class, so this does not make much sense. And I
told them that. I asked if any other children were late that day, and they said
no. After that, I began to get a little worried that my son can arrive at a
massive multi-storey school building and be left unaccounted for if for some
reason he happened to get separated from his friends.
The principal went on to say again, that this is “my
responsibility.” If my son was late, I should ask the school bus driver. I
already know my son got on the bus that day, as I accompany him to the school
bus each morning. I asked why I should ask the school bus? Was it the job of
the school bus driver to ensure the children get to their correct classroom? He replied that it was not.
So again, Mr. “Head Principal” if it is not the job of the
school bus to ensure children make it to their classroom, and it is not the job
of the parents (parents are not even allowed in the school once school starts)
whose job is it? Clearly, there is an extreme lack of oversight in your school.
Now the principal had nothing to reply except that “I always
have an answer for everything.” Well, yes. I do. I came here with a question,
and instead of being given an answer I was given a scolding for even mentioning
the fact that all in the school was not as perfect has he imagined it to be. Instead
it is short staffed and over crowded with students that don’t know what to do
and teachers that have no clue what is happening around them.
I know that no school is perfect, but parents and teachers
must work together to improve the level of education as well as the
parent-student-teacher relationship.
Again, the heads of Universal School returned to their
“scare tactics” pointing and me, shouting, and calling me an irresponsible
parent. If children can get lost on the way from the school bus to the
classroom, the only person that should be responsible is the school teacher.
At this point, the “Head Principal” told me that he wants to
talk to my husband. I asked why he needed to talk to my husband when I am
sitting right here. I was utterly shocked by the response I received from this
man who is in charge of a large school where hundreds of children spend the
majority of their waking hours. He told me he refuses to talk to a lady, and I
should know my place. He wants to talk to my husband.
It is quite frightening to know that this is the kind of man
that is running such a large school as Universal School Kemayoran. This school
is being run by a man who resorts to shouting, name-calling, and sexist
comments when confronted.
Again, I am glad that my family and I no longer have
anything to do with Universal School Jakarta, and I hope that this situation
will not befall any other parent. We are all looking for the same thing when we
look for a school: a safe and caring environment that will educate our
children, not only in
academic matters, but also in how to be a good person.
Unfortunately, you will find none of those things at
Universal School.
