Wednesday, 6 September 2017

Universal School Jakarta Reviews - Rude and Sexist Management

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. 

4 comments:

  1. Sorry to hear that, I just want to enroll my son to universal Kelapa gading. Where the branch happened to your son?

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    1. this probably happened in the kemayoran branch but the same principal runs the kelapa gading branch also and its not that different and kelapa gading has less facilities, i seriously suggest you to rethink your choices since i am a student and i hate this school to the core, i have been diagnosed with depression due to the overexerted stress in the higher grades and whenever someone asks me whether they should enroll in universal its a flat out no because the ones who run the school are not in it for giving students an education and are just hungry for money, they even increased the price of the fees by 8 million just because the
      principle's son was buying a new house, they use all the profit they get into adding into their mercedes and bmw collection and not to improve the school which gets worse and worse year by year

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    2. Yes, I have heard this from my friend. It was at the kemayoran branch. but if both schools are run by the same people, I would assume the same standards in both places sad to say :(

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  2. Thank you so much for your suggestions. God bless you

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