- SBB Stories
SBB Nur Izzah: Brain-Based Learning
Forced learning of the three Rs (reading, writing, and arithmetic), not introducing storybooks, and traumatizing students. That’s how the three Rs were taught in the neighborhood where Mrs. Nur Aini used to live. The brain-unfriendly learning inspired Ms. Nur to make changes.
At that time, Ms. Nur still did not know where to start. Then, she heard about a training at the Indonesia Heritage Foundation (IHF) and, for the first time, had the opportunity to attend a three-day training at IHF on behalf of her school. He was very interested in the materials taught in that short training. She even kept the materials in her memory and taught them to her students at school.
Seeing Ms. Nur’s persistence, IHF finally included her in a two-week training at IHF sponsored by PT Bank CIMB Niaga, Tbk. SBB Nur Izzah was established not long after, and it implemented Character-Based Holistic Education (CBHE) in 2013.
Nur Izzah’s SBB activities attract the attention of the surrounding community. Learning is done not only at school but also outside of school. For example, when the theme is learning about chickens, students go directly to the chicken coop or visit the traditional market during the market day program. Therefore, it is not surprising that the number of students in this school has now reached 34. Initially, there were only twelve students. Without creating an admission brochure, the quota was always full.
Next School Level and Students’ Achievements
Recently, the Association of Indonesian Educators and Teaching Practitioners for Early Childhood Education (Himpaudi) created a program to prepare students for primary school by taking them to visit nearby primary schools so that students are not surprised on the first day of school. Since six years ago, SBB Nur Izzah has routinely held a similar program, with SBB teachers accompanying their children on the first day of school.
Armed with character education, many SBB Nur Izzah students have made achievements in various fields, both inside and outside school. Many are ranked in the top ten in their respective schools. In addition, some become hafiz Al-Qur’an, short story writing champions, sub-district math olympiad champions, city-level table tennis champions, and U-13 national team players.
Nur Izzah’s SBB struggle finally had a real impact on the surrounding environment. The mindset of the three Rs and not brain-based learning is slowly being abandoned. Instead of being able to read, liking to read is now the target of SBB Nur Izzah teachers when introducing early literacy to students. Learning has turned into fun, and the love of reading will be imprinted forever.
Writer and translator: Teuku Zulman Sangga Buana
PT Bank CIMB Niaga Tbk, an IHF partner from 2012 to 2016, has trained 62 SBB schools in various parts of Indonesia. This article is based on testimonials from Mrs. Nur Aini (principal) and SBB Nur Izzah’s teachers located at RT 01, RW 04, No. 162, Kampung Cilangkap, Tapos District, Depok.
