http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taruna_Nusantara
Cahyadi Indrananto – TN6
Rafael Aussie – TN10
Taruna Nusantara (also affectionately called Tarnus or TN) is a boarding senior high school located in small town of Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia.
The school gains reputation from its strong emphasis on national values
and military-like disciplines, in addition to exceptional academic and
leadership achievements.
Taruna Nusantara can be liberally translated as “Patriot of The Archipelago.” The word Taruna itself also generally refers to Indonesia’s military cadet, which has no direct relation to and should not be confused with the school and its students.
History
The embryonic idea of the school development was coined by then- Indonesian Minister of Defense and Security, Gen. Leonardus Benjamin Moerdani in 1985.
He envisioned a civilian school that is able to educate country’s best
talents and produce graduates who can continue carrying forward the
national mission set by the nation’s founding fathers[1]. It was then followed by the signing of MoU by Indonesian Armed Forces and Taman Siswa, which is historically among the first local and formal educational
groups in Indonesia, to set up and support a foundation called Lembaga Perguruan Taman Taruna Nusantara (LPTTN). It is this foundation that eventually crystallised Gen.
Moerdani’s vision, and subsequently oversee the operational process of
the school.
The school was unveiled by the then- Commander of Armed Forces, Gen. Try Sutrisno in 1990.
The whole campus, consisted of the school compound, students’
dormitories and teachers’ housing complex, occupied a 18.5 ha site,
donated by the neighboring National Military Academy. During the first six years, the school constantly admitted 245 male students every year. Starting from 1996, it became a co-ed school by accepting the first batch of 70 female students, and to
accommodate this change, the school area was expanded to 23 hectares.
To be able to attract outstanding teenagers from diverse levels of
society, the school, backed by the politically- and financially-strong Armed Forces,
offered full scholarship to all students. Its teachers also enjoyed
above-average salary and facilities. However, after the severe Asian currency crisis in 1997 and the change of national political landscape thereafter, the school faced financial difficulties and subsequently withdrew its scholarship scheme in 2001.
To date, some needy students still receive the scholarship, which is
sponsored by private corporations, local and regional governments, or
its alumni.
Features
it is not in any way directly similar with the military. As the school
curriculums derived from national education curriculum system, all the
students merely are the same with others senior high school in
Indonesia. However, there are many differentiation between this school
and others indicated in some particular environments and conditions
such as the unity of all education elements in a location and the
unique system of daily lives and activities around the school. In
contrary to popular beliefs, the school’s graduating students do not
have any mandatory options in response to their school continuity, for
instance there is no obligation for them to go to any military academy.
In fact, mostly the school’s graduated students nowadays, continued
their education to their chosen universities, and in many cases the
number is far higher than those who joined the military academy.
Selection Process
before they can be admitted, ranging from academical, physical and
psychological tests, health check, and interview. Generally, the
screening team would accept those who have the strong aptitude,
ideological vision, leadership potential and physical endurance.
Curriculum
on the three aspects: nationalism, patriotism, and national culture.
These aspects are reflected in its curriculum: besides studying based
on the compulsory national curricula, the students must take special
subjects which are not taught elsewhere to people in their age, namely
Leadership, Nationalism and National Defence.
Leadership development programs
In order to prepare its students to become a leader in their
respective fields and contribute back to the society, the school
actively provides various leadership opportunities through a
combination of both theoretical concepts and practical application of
leadership principles[3].
The theoretical concepts of leadership is a unique part of the
curricular structure of the school, which includes classroom lectures
on leadership theories, organizational behavior and public speaking,
just to name a few. The students are expected to apply what they have
learned in the classroom to real-life situation through an array of
extracurricular activities. In order to make sure that leadership
opportunities are available to each and every students, and not only
the selected few, the school also have a rotation program, where all
students are alternatingly being assigned to a classroom and/or
dormitory coordinator position for one whole week.
Traditions
Despite its relatively young age, the school has built its own
unique traditions in order to create stronger bond among students to
their alma mater. Among them are:
Three-month basic education process. All pupils in their
first 3 months of freshmen year are required to join this basic
education process, which may consists of nationalism education and
basic military training. During this period, they are not allowed to
make any contact with outside parties, including their own family, the
purpose being is to strengthen their independent and confident self.Journey of Gen. Sudirman. A national hero during the Indonesia’s struggle for independence from the Dutch, Gen. Sudirman has been adopted as the students’ role model. It is therefore
compulsory for them to take part in a journey on foot to jungles and
mountains, simulating similar historic journey led by the General
during his guerilla action circa-1950. The journey follows a 40-kilometer (about 24.8-mile) path and takes about 4 days to complete.Camps and social works. To stay inclusive with the
surrounding societies and environment, students have some regular camps
and social works to attend. In many cases, the camps requires them to
stay in wilderness with minimal supervision, a method believed to
cultivate their sense of survival.
Extracurricular activities
To give students an opportunity to express their talent and
creativity as well as nurturing their leadership capability, the school
provided a wide range of extracurricular activities. Some
extracurricular activities that are available at Taruna Nusantara
includes the Student Board Organization (Organisasi Siswa Intra Sekolah / OSIS), Student Representatives (Perwakilan Kelas / PK), Ceremonial Platoon (Peleton Upacara / Tonpara), School Security Patrol (Patroli Keamanan Sekolah / PKS), Honorary Symbol Section (Pasukan Tanda Kehormatan / Pataka), Gita Bahana Nusantara Drum Band (GBNDB)(formerly Gita Bahana Nusantara Marching Band (GBNMB)), First Aid Club, Debating Society, Sports Team (Soccer, Tennis, Volley, Swimming, Athletic), Arts and Performances (Gamelan, Gendang Rampak and Band)
Principality
Another unique feature of this school is the qualification of its
principals who, at the time of incumbency, are high-ranking military
officers, with the exception of the first principal who previously was
a rector in a reputable local university.
The principals:
Prof Dr Tarwotjo, MSc (1990 – 1994)
MajGen Bambang Hartoyo; MBA (1994)
BGen drs Sadja Moeljoredjo (1994 – 1998)
BGen Bambang Pradjuritno; LLB (1998 – 2004)
BGen drs Untung Susoro (2005 – 2006)
BGen (Ret) Djuwari Sarmyanto MSc (2006 – 2010)
FAdm (Ret) Laksamana Pertama Ir. Djoko Sasongko (2010 – 2011)
