By James Widjaja and William Nathan
BBS is clearly hyping up BBS 2.0. The latest indication of this is the new shirts,but the evidence that change is coming is everywhere, new CCA’s, the requirement for sec 1’s to buy ipads, clearly the management has big plans. Yet, what exactly is BBS 2.0? And just add importantly, what does it mean for us?
In an exclusive interview of Mr Richard, the Principal(click the link for more), the BBS connect team posed these questions. Here are the answers, in summary.
The first question is easier to answer. The gist of it is that bbs 2.0 is a recognition that times are changing by the managers. In light of this, they have charted a new philosophy for teaching, one they believe will guarantee success for students. This philosophy has 6 initiatives.
The first is a push for students to expand their horizons. As our principal says,“It’s a big world out there and students need to be ready for that”. This takes form in the immersion program. A student exchange program to partner schools in Hong Kong and China. The hope is that it will put students in a new environment, which simulates university and forces them to be more independent. This program is already in motion, as shown by the sign up options. For now, BBS will be only sending students, however next year, there is an exciting possibility that bbs will also accept students from other countries as well.
Then there is the leadership program. Details on this are more scarce, but we know it focuses on extending leadership opportunities beyond the prefectorial board. There is also an emphasis on servant leadership, that leaders must also serve in order to lead. It is likely that this program will manifest in the positions of class presidents and CCA club leader’s, though it is unknown what form this will manifest in.
Another initiative is the values program. This is focused on improving students ethics and making BBS a model school. A program under this initiative is the school’s drive to reduce trash. Under this plan, the morning devotion will focus more on values and how to apply them in life. There is also the BBS model conference initiative. As we know, the CCA has already been created. The purpose of the CCA is to create an environment where students can discuss their ideas freely. It also trains them in the ways of Diplomacy. These students will also be able to compete in model conferences in Indonesia and overseas.
The last two is the student welfare program. This is meant to improve student experiences. Finally, the school will emphasize the Sciences, Technology, Arts and Maths through different programs such as an expansion of the project based learning trialed last year. This initiative also includes the Robotics CCA.
In short, BBS has big plans in store for the new year. However, we all know BBS has a mixed track record on meeting their promises. It remains to be seen whether this will be a whole new block, or simply a repainted one.