À la découverte de l’Algérie antique

Résumé:

J’ai toujours voulu voyager autour de l’Algérie, et j’ai toujours été fasciné par les ruines romaines qui existent en Algérie. En fusionnant les deux, j’ai eu l’idée de voyager autour de l’Algérie pour visiter les ruines romaines.

L’idée de voyager autour de l’Algérie :

A partir du 09 Aout, je partirai en voyage à la découverte des ruines des cités romaines qui existent  en Algérie. A noter que je ne serai pas tout seul ; je voyagerai avec mon ami Mehdi BOUKACEM.

Comment est-ce que j’ai eu une telle idée ? L’idée de voyager autour de l’Algérie remonte à quelques années auparavant. C’est quelque chose que j’ai toujours rêvé de le faire.  Néanmoins, je ne pouvais pas juste voyager au hasard sans but ni itinéraire. Il fallait que j’ajoute du sens à mon voyage.

Il fallait que mon voyage rentre dans un cadre défini et est un but précis à atteindre. C’est ainsi que vint l’idée de visiter les ruines des cités romaines.

J’ai toujours été passionné par l’Algérie antique, or l’Algérie sous l’occupation de l’empire romain. Chaque fois que je regardais des photos des ruines romaines de, par exemple, Tipasa, Djemila, ou Timgad, j’éprouvais de la fascination et je  ne pensais qu’a une seule chose : voir ces ruines en vrai !

Je commencerai mon voyage de la wilaya d’Oran et je visiterai les endroits suivants:

1. Tipasa et Caesarea (Cherchel) – Wilaya de Tipasa
2. Cuicul (Djemila) – Wilaya de Sétif
3. Cirta Constantina – Wilaya de Constantine
4. Thamugadi (Timgad) – Wilaya de Batna
5. Hippo Regius – Wilaya de Annaba
6. Calama – Wilaya de Guelma

En bonus, je visiterai aussi quelques villes côtières comme : Jijel, Bejaia, et Ténès.

Cliquez sur la photo pour agrandir l’image.

Pourquoi je souhaite voyager autour de l’Algérie ?

Il y a trois raisons principales qui m’ont poussé à faire ce voyage.

Découvrir et mieux connaitre mon pays est la raison principale qui m’a poussé à faire ce voyage.

Lors de mes voyages à l’étranger, j’ai rencontré beaucoup des gens de différentes nationalités qui, à chaque fois, me poser des questions sur l’Algérie. Je répondais toujours que l’Algérie est un très bon pays ; je leur parlais des belles plages, des ruines romaines, du désert, et autre.

La majorité des endroits que je citais étaient des endroits que je n’ai jamais visités personnellement, et c’est exactement ce qui m’embarrassait le plus dans ma réponse.

Récemment, il y a eu le lancement de deux très bons documentaires sur l’Algérie : le documentaire « Thalassa : Algérie la mer retrouvée » et « Algérie vu du ciel ».

Quand j’ai regardé ces deux documentaires, j’ai eu double effet. D’un côté,  j’ai beaucoup aimé car ils montrent une bonne image de l’Algérie. D’un autre côté; j’étais un peu attristé. Honnêtement, ça m’attriste le fait qu’un étranger vienne me montrer mon pays. En même temps, ça me fais rappeler de mon ignorance de mon pays. Il est grand temps de remédier à cette ignorance.

Personnellement, je ne pense pas qu’il y est un Algérien qui puisse nier la Splendeur de l’Algérie. Néanmoins, beaucoup d’entre eux n’ont pas vu cette splendeur de leurs propres yeux. Je sais qu’il y a beaucoup de personnes qui souhaitent voyager en Algérie et je sais aussi que beaucoup d’entre eux hésitent à le faire.

A la fin de mon voyage, j’espère que mon initiative inspira les gens, surtout les jeunes, à faire de même. Je souhaite que les Algériens voyagent plus dans leur propre pays et découvrent sa beauté.

Comment je vais faire pour voyager ?

Je compte voyager avec les moyens les moins chers qui existent.

En termes de transport, je prendrai le moyen de transport le moins cher ; cela variera entre taxi, un bus, ou train. Grace à la carte jeune du SNTF (Société National des Transports Ferroviaires), je bénéficierai d’une réduction de 20% sur tous mes tickets.

En termes d’hébergement, Mehdi et moi on a pris une tente avec nous, ce qui fait qu’on aura trois options concernant l’hébergement : Dormir dans la tente ; dormir dans une auberge de jeunesse ; ou bien dormir chez des gens accueillants.

En termes de nourritures, on mangera que pendant les trois repas de la journée (petit déjeuner, déjeuner, et diner). Cette partie sera un peu difficile, mais on essaiera de minimiser nos dépenses le plus possibles.

Conclusion :

Vu que j’aurai un accès limité à Internet pendant le voyage, je ne commencerai à écrire dans mon blog qu’une fois de retour de nouveau à Oran. Je publierai un article chaque semaine. Néanmoins, je publierai des photos et des vidéos sur Facebook pendant le voyage.

Si vous souhaitez nous contacter, vous pouvez nous joindre sur notre page Facebook Voyager en Algérie ou bien nos profils Facebook: Mehdi BENMOUSSA et Mehdi Med BOUKACEM.

Souhaitez-nous bonne chance!

VIII. Testimonials

Mohamed Mehdi BEMOUSSA – Algeria (October 2014 – April 2015):

“I came to Al Falah Assalam School in October 2014 for a three months internship as an English Teacher.  After three months, I extended my internship to another three months. In total I spent six months in Al Falah Assalam School. I would like to talk a little bit about those six months.

The choice of Al Falah Assalam School for my internship came a little bit out of coincidence. I chose Al Falah Assalam School because I had a good feeling about it and that’s about it. However, shortly after starting my internship, I was very happy and satisfied that I chose Al Falah Assalam School. “Why is that?” people might ask. My answer is simple: it’s mainly because of the people who work in the school. Throughout all my internship, the people at the school gave me lot of support and treated me with great hospitality, kindness, respect, and even love. I had a great relationship with my colleagues and the students as well. As a consequence, I felt very comfortable working in the school, and it’s for this reason in particular that I decided to extend my internship.

After six month, the experience in Al Falah taught me so much both professionally and personally. On the professional level, I gained lot of experience in teaching little kids. During my internship, I taught five different grades (1^st grade through 5^th grade); consequently, I was able to encounter lot of cases and learn from them. On the personal level, I would say that the daily contact with my colleagues at the school allowed me to learn a lot from them. After my internship, I viewed things differently and felt more humble, confident, and open minded.

Last but not least, I think that Al Falah Assalam is a good school to do an internship in, because it offers a good environment for young people to develop and grow. It’s definitely a good place for young people to start from and gain experience. Therefore, I recommend the school to anyone wishing to do an internship in Indonesia.”

 

Laila Hesham Kamal El Din Mohamed Wassef – Egypt (August 2014 – September 2014):

« My experience in the school was great. I have learned a lot how to present the Egyptian culture and how to be representative. I learned how to be patient as I am communicating with the kids and also I had to be creative so that they could understand me and understand my language.

The people in the school, the students, and the teachers were very kind and friendly. I loved them. »

Przemek Zaręba – Poland (October 2012 – June 2013):

« I was teaching English at Al Falah Assalam in Tropodo from October, 2012 until June, 2013. At the beginning, I planned to stay there only 3 months, but I quickly realized I couldn’t leave the place where I met a lot of wonderful people, students, and where I simply felt home. Teaching children is not a piece of cake, but with a lot of support from the school I received, it was both challenging and absorbing.

Travelling around Indonesia had always been a big dream of mine, but I couldn’t predict that one day I would be here not only as a tourist, but also as part of that society: living and working in this incredible country. From the cultural point of view, I had a great opportunity for getting to know the Islamic heritage and for me, a Catholic one of the most memorable experiences was teaching English to Al Qu’ran teachers every week in the school mosque. Definitely my stay in Indonesia was not only about exploring the country, but what is more important it was about exploring myself when exposed to completely different cultures, customs, way of thinking and all of that helped me understand this part of the world much better and deeper. Besides, it taught me a lot of humility when coping with multicultural differences.

Now that my 3-month stay in Indonesia turned into more than two years and although I don’t teach at Al Falah any longer, I consider the School and Tropodo as a beginning of my amazing journey in Indonesia. And Al Falah will always have a special place in my heart. I recommend this place for anyone interested in both doing their internship and living an unforgettable experience. »

 

Olivier Duperrut – Switzerland (September 2012 – November 2012):

« My internship as an English teacher at Al Falah Assalam Elementary School in Tropodo close to Surabaya was a life changing experience for me. I had the opportunity to experience a life which was completely different from everything I had known so far.

Especially in the beginning, it was very challenging for me and I had difficulties to adapt in this for me completely new world. This is why I was extremely happy to get support from my school and also from AIESEC. Even though I had some unusual wishes, everybody always gave the best to satisfy my wishes.

I am grateful that I was integrated very well and I had the opportunity to have many interesting discussions. I learned a great deal about the daily life of the people, their culture and also their religion. Especially the insight into the Muslim religion was extremely interesting and valuable for me. However, the most important for me is that I found many friends that I will hopefully see again one day.

I am persuaded that my experience in Indonesia changed my perspective on life and enlarged my personal horizon tremendously. I would like to thank everybody who made the experience possible, especially the people from Al Falah Assalam and the people from AIESEC. »

 

Karine Aptel-Chevry – France (A one week internship during Augusut 2012):

« My mission at At Falah Assalam was to promote English conversation with the students. Not only their ability to speak and understand English but also their capacity to interact and communicate with a foreigner more broadly. Before being a language experience, it was a human experience; to overcome shyness or intimidated feeling and to create trust and ease with the students. Have FUN with them! As a teacher assistant, you don’t really have to teach grammar or any specific, but you are here to make it interactive and you are free to propose new activities and to join any activities organized with the school.

My experience at Al Falah Assalam was a team work experience. The English teachers of the school helped me to create more communication, through speaking, songs, games etc. with the students. As part of the staff, I felt confident and supported by the direction. I had great conversations with my Muslims colleagues who were eager to share their culture and religion, and as eager to understand and discover mine. The Al Falah Assalam staff is truly priceless; they are welcoming, family-oriented, open-minded, curious, sharing, helpful and generous!

My only regret is that I stayed so shortly! »

VII. The school’s extracurricular activities

Al Falah Assalam School has a wide variety of extracurricular activities. The list of the extracurricular activities is as following:

1. Scouts;
2. Playing musical instrument classes (There are two kind of musical instrument classes: The piano and the angklung.)
3. singing classes;
4. Pencak silat (Pencak silat is a martial art originally from Indonesia);
5. Islamic fashion show;
6. Traditional dance classes;
7. Science club;
8. Painting classes;
9. Acting classes; and
10. Futsal (Football played on a smaller field and indoor.)

We say that a picture is worth a thousand words; therefore, I have made a selection of  pictures, for each extracurricular activity, taken from a recent talent show organized by the school. To see the pictures, please click here.

VI. School facilities

Al Falah Assalam School facilities can be listed as following:

• Computer laboratory;
• The school building;
• The school canteen;
• The school health center;
• The school Library;
• The school mosque;
• The school office;
• The school shop;
• The school sport field; and
• The classrooms.

To view the school facilities, please click here.

V. The school’s yearly events

Every year, Al Falah Assalam School organizes more than 10 different events. In this section, I would like to discuss six of those events which I consider to be the biggest and most significant.

 

 1. Hari Pahlawan:

When translated into English, Hari Pahlawan means “Heroes’ Day”. Hari Pahlawan is a Remembrance Day celebrated annualy on 10 November. The day commemorates the 1945 Battle of Surabaya, in which pro-independence Indonesian soldiers and militias fought against British and Dutch troops during the Indonesian National Revolution.

Hari Pahlawan at Al Falah Assalam is celebrated in many diverse, unique ways. If you walk into school on November the 10^th without knowing the day’s significance, you’d think you are in a cosplay event. To honor the men and women who took part in the Battle of Surabaya on Hari Pahlawan, everyone in the school wears a special costume such as; Indonesian soldier/militia, doctor, or a nurse. The commemoration of Hari Pahlawan starts with the singing of the national anthem and continues with various artistic performances such as: singing, plays, and traditional music playing. The commemoration last for approximately two or three hours and ends with a photography session.

For more pictures on Hari Pahlawan, click here.

 2. Business day:

Business day is a two day event where the students are encouraged to bring any kind of goods (food, drinks, cakes, candies, books, decorative objects, office stationaries…etc.) and try to sell them to the teachers and the rest of the school personnel. To put it in another way, Business day is an event where the school yard turns into a local market; the canteen tables into selling stalls; the students into local merchants; and the teachers into potential customers.

The first day of the event is reserved for 1^st through 3^rd grade students; while the second day is for 4^th through 6^th grade students.

Business day aims to help the students become independent at a young age by raising their awareness about entrepreneurship and developing their communication skills.

For more pictures on Business day, click here.

 

 3. School outings:

Al Falah Assalam school outings vary depending on the grade. Therefore, diverse destinations are on the program, such as; Hindu and Buddhist temples, museums, and public zoos.

Personally, I highly recommended taking part in school outings, because it’s a good way to explore Indonesia.

For more pictures on school outings, click here.

 4. Students outbound:

Students outbound is a one day event organized outside the school. Students are taken outdoors for nature walks and team building activities. Student outbound aims to strengthen the friendship among the students; improve their teamwork, leadership, and communication skills; and of course break the daily routine of studying with a fun day outdoors.

For more pictures on student outbound, click here.

 

 5. Pawai Ramadhan:

In English, Pawai Ramadhan means Ramadan Parade. As the name implies, it is a parade to celebrate the advent of the month of Ramadan. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Muslims worldwide observe this as a month of fasting. While fasting from dawn until sunset, Muslims refrain from consuming food, drinking liquids, smoking, and engaging in sexual relations.

The Ramadan parade is performed on the main street near the school. It aims to raise awareness about Islam in the community, mark the beginning of the month of Ramadan, and remind people to happily welcome it.

For more pictures on Pawai Ramadhan, click here.

 6. The year closing ceremony:

The end of the school year is celebrated by a large ceremony which brings together teachers, students, and the students’ parents. The ceremony is an opportunity to reward the best performers in the school, strengthen the relationship between the teachers and the students’ parents, and celebrate the school’s achievements during the school year. Moreover, a talent show is organized in which every student in the school is encouraged to show his/her talent by performing on stage.  A wide variety of talents are displayed by the students, such as; traditional dancing, modern dancing, singing, acting, martial arts, etc.

For more pictures on the year closing ceremony, click here.

 

IV. Working hours and holidays

In this section, I would like to discuss the working hours in Al Falah Assalam School, as well as yearly school breaks and public holidays in Indonesia.

 

1. Working hours:

For interns, the working hours during a week day start from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m. with no teaching required on weekends.

 

2. School breaks:

There are three breaks in total during a year. After the school year starts in July, the first school break lasts one week and occurs in December after the first semester.

The second school break lasts two weeks at the end of the second semester in June.

The third and last school break is a two week holiday beginning from the last week of Ramadan until the end of Lebaran. Lebaran begins immediately after Ramadan and lasts for three days. During that time, neighbors visit each other and beg forgiveness for any mistakes they may have made during the previous year. In addition, many Indonesians who live or work outside of their home village return home to be with their families.

In addition to the yearly school breaks, the interns in Al Falah Assalam also have some days off during exams. Your main job is to teach English and not monitor exams; therefore, you will not be asked to take part in any tasks or activities during exams. The exams’ duration is one week, so you will have that whole week off.

 

3. Public holidays:

Regarding Indonesia’s official public holidays, it is important to note that there are six official religions recognized by the Indonesian government: Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism. Therefore, some of the important days related to those six religions are also considered official, national holidays. For instance, let’s take the example of the Christian holiday “Good Friday”. Good Friday in Indonesia is a day off even for non-Christians, because it’s also a national holiday. The same goes for Islamic, Hindu, or Buddhist holidays; it is a day off for all Indonesian citizens regardless of their religion.

 

In conclusion, I hope that this section has sufficiently demonstrated that during your internship you will have many opportunities to travel around and explore Indonesia.

III. An intern’s average day in Al Falah Assalam School

In the following section, I would like to describe, from my perspective, an intern’s typical day in Al Falah Assalam School. I will list chronologically by way of distinct points what happens during an average day. Before jumping right into it, I would like to start by discussing the school’s dress code for both genders.

1. School’s dress code:

For male interns, the dress code is pretty simple. As a teacher, you have to dress appropriately; a shirt, trousers, and shoes that go with the outfit.

As for female interns, there are some things to take into consideration. Since it is an Islamic school, female interns are bound by a slightly different dress code, consisting of covering the entire body except the face and hands. Wearing tight clothes is prohibited. For female interns who are not Muslim, they are only bound by the dress code on school grounds. One thing to clarify is that wearing a Muslim veil is not mandatory. Although, it would be highly appreciated by the school to wear a Muslim veil, simply covering the hair with a scarf is enough. In other words, the women dress code is as follows: long sleeves, a long dress/skirt, and shoes that go with the outfit.

 

An example of the school’s dress code for a non-Musilm female intern.

 

2. Beginning of the school day:

In Al Falah Assalam, the school day starts at 7:00 a.m. Of course, teachers and students ought to be at school before 7.

Before I go further, there is an important point that I would like to mention which is relevant to what follows after. In Javanese culture, hierarchical relationships are respected, emphasized and maintained. Respect is usually shown to people with status, power, position, and age. For example, in terms of age, the display of respect by the youngsters to their elders can be seen by their unique way of greeting. To show respect, the youngster slightly bows and takes the hand of their elder, then touches the back of the elder’s hand with their forehead, cheek, or tip of the nose. This particular way of greeting is called salim.

Al Falah Assalam School is no exception to the rule. Every morning before class, the teachers stand in a line in the school yard, so that the students may perform salim for each teacher. As an intern, you are not an exception. You are regarded as a teacher; consequently, the students perform salim to you as well.

 

3. The pledge (7:00 a.m. – 7:20 a.m.):

Every morning before class, under the supervision of their respective homeroom teacher, students of all grades read aloud the following pledge:

In the name of God, the most Gracious, the most Merciful. I testify that there is no god, but Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. We the students of the primary school Al Falah School, out of loyalty to Allah and love for Allah’s Messenger, promise to:

One: Always pray

Two: Recite Al Quran and study every day

Three: Be devoted to our parents

Four: Tirelessly pursue knowledge

Five: Respect and obey our teachers

Six: Love our friends and not look for enemies.

As an intern, you won’t have to ask your class to read the pledge. After you arrive at 7 a.m., you will have to wait in the school office until your first class begins at 7:20 a.m.

 

4. Class time:

The classes in Al Falah are no different from the classes we all know. It is a set of classes on different subjects following a fixed schedule. There isn’t much to say about it, so I will just list the daily class time.

• Morning classes (7:20 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.)
• Morning classes 2 (10:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.)
• Afternoon classes (1:00 p.m. – 2:55 p.m.)

Each class on any given subject lasts maximum one hour. You must go to class whenever you are scheduled to do so. Otherwise, when there is a gap in between classes, you can stay in the school office preparing your lessons or just wait for the next class to start.

5. Recreation time (9:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.):

As an intern, there are several things to do during the recreation. If I may give some suggestions, you may take a break in the meantime in the school office. While at the office, you can chit chat and get to know your fellow colleagues. They will be very happy to get to know you as well. Or, you can head to the school canteen for a snack. If you are a football fan like me, you can always play football in the schoolyard with the kids. They will be very happy having a foreigner on the field.

Since it is recreation time, you are free to spend it the way you like.

 

A picture of one of the numerous football games I played during recreation.

6. Lunch break (11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.):

At midday, students break again for both prayer and lunch. Since it’s an Islamic school, prayer is compulsory and observed at the proper time. At 11:45 a.m., everyone in the school prepares for the noon prayer named Dhuhr by performing wudhu. Wudhu is the ritual ablution, consisting of washing parts of the body using water, in preparation for formal prayers.

Students performing wudhu before praying Duhur.

After Wudhu, everyone head to the school mosque to pray. As an intern, if you are a Muslim, you are welcome to pray with everyone. If you are not a Muslim, it’s not a problem. You can have lunch earlier if you like or wait until everyone is finished praying.

Students praying Duhur.

After Dhuhr, it is officially lunch time. Thus, everyone from the mosque goes directly to the school canteen to eat. During lunch time, table sittings are organized. Each class has its own assigned table where they sit alongside their respective homeroom teacher. As an intern, you are free to sit at any table you want. Everyone will be happy to have you at their table.

Lunch time.

Lunch time is chill time where everyone is not busy, so it can be a good opportunity to socialize with the other teachers. You can ask them any kind of questions; if you are planning to travel around Indonesia, they can give some useful, practical information.  Also, you can practice your Bahasa Indonesia in case you are trying to learn the language.

 

7. End of the school day (3:00 p.m.):

At 2:55 p.m., it is time for the afternoon prayer named Asr. After Asr, the students have one last thing to do before leaving. Similar to the beginning of the school day, the students need to perform salim before going home. The greeting is done in the mosque right after prayer. For non-Muslim interns, they are not obligated to attend the afternoon salim. They can leave right after their last class. After performing salim, it is officially the end of the school day.

Students peforming salim after Asr prayer.

 

II. School profile

 

 

Al Falah Assalam was founded in the year 2000. It is located on Jalan Raya Wisma Tropodo blok FG no 20 Waru Sidoarjo. Kindergarten, primary school, and secondary school education are offered at the school. Primary school is officially registered with the Department of Education under the name SD Al Falah Assalam.

During primary school, SD Al Falah Assalam uses the Full day concept, which makes it different from most other schools. SD Al Falah Assalam emphasizes the basics of Integrated Activity and Integrated Curriculum, which means that all of the children’s activities at school from studying, playing, eating, and prayer are included under one education system.

Al Falah Assalam School entrance gate.

 

1. The goal of education:

In general the goal of education at Al Falah Assalam education center is the same as the Department of Education’s. However, the specific intention of Al Falah Assalam education center is to prepare the next Muslim Generation to always combine faith and knowledge, and to practice it with noble intentions in all aspects of life as humble servants of God, the Provider of blessings to the universe.

 

2. Education program at the basic level:

The primary school curriculum uses the 2013 curriculum from the Department of Education, as well as additions which are specific to Assalam. Those additions consist of practical ceremonial devotion (to God), library program, life skills, educational school outings, socializing with peers, and an Islamic way of life.

Students who have high achievement in their studies are provided with additional support and placed in advanced classes.

Those students who face difficulties in their studies are placed in a remedial program to help complete their studies and build a better relationship between parents and teachers. That’s why the school uses many methods to enable such cooperation; such as home visits and a diary consisting of schools activities to be completed at home.

Extracurricular activities offered at the school include arts, sports, skills and leadership. These extracurricular activities, although they are optional, are encouraged by the school in order to develop the students’ talents and facilitate the students’ hobbies.

Al Falah Assalam School building and yard.

 

3. Vision:

• To succeed as an Education center by educating and passing students of integrity and dignity.

 

4. Mission:

• To create an education center based on religion;
• To be a pioneer and set an example for schools in the surrounding area; and
• To give benefit to the surrounding area by way of good deeds.

 

Al Falah Assalam School building and yard 2.

5. School strategy:

• To set an example as an education system based on quality management;
• To set a high standard for school management which encompasses rules, school organization, and the cultivation of human resources. This ensures and enhances the students’ comfort, productivity and sense of community (CPC system);
• To build a relationship between parents, school, society, and other components which can enhance the quality of education;
• To consistently utilize the bench marking system; and
• To continuously improve our system.

 

 

 

I. A message from Al Falah Assalam School Headmaster

Dear reader,

Greetings from the Indonesia! First of all, I would like to thank you for your interest in Al Falah Assalam School. If you are reading this booklet, it means that that you are exploring the possibility of doing an internship in our school.

The current booklet is intended to be a guide for you; therefore, I invite you to read it entirely, I’m sure that you will find information that can be very valuable and helpful for you.

Thank you once again for your interest in Al Falah Assalam School, and I hope to seeing you here.

 

Cordially,

Al Falah Assalam SD Headmaster

Muhammad Sholikuddin, S.Si

Preface

I am writing this booklet as a former intern at Al Falah Assalam School. I spent six months teaching English there. It was during the third month of my internship that I got the idea of writing a booklet for the school. Obviously, the question of what pushed me to undertake this task poses itself automatically. To explain how I came about having such an idea, I’m going to divide my answer into two interrelated parts.

First, I would like to discuss the origin of the idea by explaining how I ended up choosing Al Falah and not another school, because I believe it goes back to the period before I came to Indonesia.  In October 2014, I was all set to do a teaching internship in Indonesia; however, I had no idea in which city. By way of the AIESEC platform, I found some interesting internship opportunities in the city of Surabaya; three opportunities to be exact. Obviously, the internship in Al Falah Assalam was included. At some level, the three internships lacked clear and concrete information; consequently, it difficult to decide which internship was the most suitable for me. Nonetheless, I had a good feeling about the internship in Al Falah Assalam School. As a result, I decided to trust my own instinct and applied for it. Today, when I think back on that instinctive decision, I can positively say that it was the best decision that I could have made. I’m very satisfied with my internship experience, and every passing day is an affirmation of the soundness of my decision to choose Al Falah Assalam School.
Second, during my internship, I was told by the Headmaster of Al Falah Assalam that the school had had a hard time attracting international interns during the previous year; even though there was an internship announcement in AIESEC platform. As a result, this fact made me think of something: if no one in the whole world had applied, maybe one of the reasons was the absence of clear and relevant information about the internship opportunity at this school. Similar to my case, perhaps many potential applicants came across the internship announcement, but due to the lack of information they were reluctant and chose not to apply.

By converging the first and second part of my answer, it brings me to the main reason behind writing this booklet: to provide clear and pertinent information about the school to any person interested in doing an internship in Al Falah Assalam primary school (please note that Al Falah Assalam offers kindergarten, primary, and secondary school education; the current booklet is concerned with the primary school only). The aim is to facilitate the decision making for future applicants in order to determine if this school is suitable for them or not. Moreover, my experience in Al Falah Assalam School has taught me so much, and I’m sure that it can teach other future international interns even more. Therefore, I would like to unveil what an internship in Al Falah Assalam School has to offer.

 

Special thanks:

I would like to thank Alex Gems for encouraging me to do this booklet way before I started to work on it, and also for his precious help with the correction and improvement of my writing.

I would like to thank also Adryan Sutanto Candra for his valuable help with the translation of documents written in Bahasa Indonesia into English.

Finally, I would like to thank the Headmaster and the Vice Headmaster of Al Falah Assalam, respectively, Mr.Muhammad Sholikuddin and Mr.Antoni, for providing me with all sorts of useful documentation related to the school.