BELITUNG IMMERSION: LEARNING DURING IMMERSION

Who does not know Andrea Hirata’s novel Laskar Pelangi? It is the best-selling novel in Indonesia and has been translated to 18 languages around the world. We all agree that reading Laskar Pelangi can move people’s hearts through its story about a village boy trying to reach his dream through education.

The tetralogy story of Laskar Pelangi is used by BINUS SCHOOL Serpong as one of the lessons in Bahasa Indonesia. Other than to broaden the students’ knowledge, discussing the tetralogy story ofLaskar Pelangi is also expected to encourage students’ will to learn as well as to value education more. To make the novel’s interpretation easier, the students had an immersion to Belitung Island to experience the setting “of the novel”, where the film Laskar Pelangi was shot.

Immersion is a yearly programme of the school which aims to allow our students to venture out of their comfort zones and be risk takers, to immerse into the local setting and have a better understanding of the socio-cultural life in Belitung, and to apply personal and social skills leading to greater responsibility, resilience, readiness and maturity. This year’s programme had ninety one (91) student and teacher participants

Mr. Ventianus Sarwoyo who was the PIC of the event said that the students really enjoyed the trip, and they could not wait to get back to Belitung Island. During the immersion program, the students visited a replica of Muhammadiyah Elementary School, Andrea Hirata’s Museum of Words, and met with Mrs. Muslimah including some of the actors of Laskar Pelangi film. To make the activity more fun, the students also visited Pasir Beach, Tanjung Tinggi Beach, and Lengkuas Island that is known with its Dutch relics of lighthouse.

The parents of the students who participated in the program also did not have to worry since the students stayed in a decent and strategically-located hotel, were well-fed, as well as accompanied by teachers. Therefore, aside from learning and participating in a relaxing atmosphere , students also learned time management as well as to be independent and discipline.

See you in the next Immersion! (IV)