Kandank Jurank Doank: School that teaches children to love nature
Multa Fidrus
The Jakarta Post, Tangerang
The Jakarta Post, Tangerang
Hundreds of children gathered to cheerfully learn together at Kandank Jurank Doank, a school of nature established and managed by singer and TV presenter Dik Doank in Sawah Lama subdistrict, Ciputat, Tangerang.
The school in the Elvita housing complex, where Dik Doank lives is surrounded by a perfect landscape, which featured football and basket ball courts, a library, rumah pintar (smart houses), small music studio, a stage, Kampung Doank, rice fields, fish ponds, outboud ground, Blok Miring and railroads.
In high spirits, the children recently sat on the Blok Miring -- where a medium-sized open theater stage with rice fields view in the background stands -- to hear the instructions what to do during the class sessions from Dik Doank and friends.
“Adik adik (younger sisters and brothers) how do feel today. Welcome back to Kandank Jurank Doank. It’s nice to see you again?” Dik usually greets the students at the opening of the Sunday class.
He encouraged the visiting students to ask as many questions as possible about what ever they wanted to know related to the lesson presented on the day.
“Today, we will learn how to make bag and pencil box from used paper and soft drink cans and after the session, you will follow a series of outbound activities in groups. Have you prepared scissors, glue, used cans and hard paper as we told you last week?” Dik asked.
“Sudah Kakak” (Yes brother) the children answered simultaneously.
Dik then devided the students into several groups, which will be directed by dozens of volunteers in the respective class.
The students were invited to participate in the next class – climbing, walking on a bamboo pole on the rice field and fishing. The class is regularly held between 8 am and 11 a.m. every Sunday.
Wearing worn-out clothes with flip-flops, carrying school bags containing the coloring pencils, rulers, and paper they need for class, the children anthusisatically come to Kandank Jurank Doank every Sunday to get the extra lessons.
One of the children, eight-year-old Bianca, looked curious when The Jakarta Post came closer while holding a camera in hand towards her and her friends last Sunday.
"Are you going to take pictures and write story about us?" she asked innocently.
Bianca, who affectionally called Chacha and also a student of Pondok Ranji state elementary school said that she enjoyed learning at the school because she and her friends could learn what they did not get in the formal school.
“We don’t have to pay for everything we learn from this school and kakak-kakak (the volunteers) are very kind,” she told The Jakarta Post.
Speaking with the Post after while watching and waiting on their children, Nurhayati Khavivah, 36, a resident of Pamulang said she took her 7 year daughter to Kandank Jurank Doank school of nature because she wanted her to learn about nature directly and gather with others in such a beautiful surroundings.
“My husband and I found it difficult to find simple language to better explain about the nature to my curious daughter,” she said.
The mother of two said all activities here are very positive for children because formal schools do not have these kinds of interactive programs, physical activities in nature or meet-and-greet opportunities with celebrities.
She and other parents praised Dik Doank for the attention he has given to the education of children by establishing the school.
When confronted with pouring praises from parents, Dik Doank said he initially established a painting and music learning group for some 10 school children the neighborhood upon moving to the complex in 1994.
In the course of time, the painting and music group became the Kandank Jurank Doank community, which now has 2,500 regular students from neighboring subdistricts.
All students can learn various activities ranging from painting, football, music, singing, handy craft making, and nature-appreciation through the school, which holds free classes every Sunday.
"We frequently invite celebrities as guest star and the lessons we present to the students each time are adjusted to the background of the guest star. If there is no visiting guest start, I usually handle the classes along with 45 crew members," Dik said.
He said none of the 45 crew members are paid because the school is free of charge.
"All of them are volunteers who have a concern for children’s education. Through this school, we want to create a nation that does not imitate other nation but a nation that can be it self," Dik said.
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