Indonesian special education teachers access NZ expertise

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Indonesian special education teachers access NZ expertise

Indonesia is accessing New Zealand’s expertise in special education through a tailor-made Massey University short course.

Nine special education teachers from Indonesia’s Ministry of Education and Culture spent a month in New Zealand, learning the latest teaching theory in the field of special education, and also going on school placements.

The visit, hosted by Massey University’s Institute of Education in Palmerston North, included a week of workshops and lectures, followed by three weeks of placements at participating schools. This enabled the teachers to meet their New Zealand counterparts and see the special education theories and techniques in action.

Mr Hendra Sudjana, the director of Indonesia’s special education and disability education in the Ministry of Education and Culture accompanied the teachers to New Zealand, and met with Director of the Institute of Education Professor John O’Neill, and the director of the Centre for Educational Development Mrs Dianne Leggett.

“This is the second group of short course special educators to be funded by the Indonesian Ministry of Education,“ says Professor O’Neill. “We are pleased that our teaching and research expertise in inclusive education is recognised internationally by senior government officials and is seen as relevant to their development needs. An important feature of this short course is the placement at exemplary local partner schools which adds considerably to the quality of learning experience for our visiting educators.”

In addition to visiting schools, the teachers visited a farm and were able to see snow for the first time.

Mr Hendra confirmed that another group of special education teachers from Indonesia would be visiting in 2015, and was keen to explore the exchange of teachers between Indonesia and New Zealand.

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