A primary school in Darwin, Northern Territory, celebrated Indonesia's Independence Day on a grand scale school-wide, featuring activities that invited the participation of the entire school community for the first time.
Driver Primary School in Darwin has been teaching Indonesian for 41 years — ever since the school was established.
Asnat Crawley, the school's current Indonesian language teacher, explained that the school shares a special emotional bond with Indonesia, partly due to a collaborative learning program it runs with a school in Indonesia.
We have been learning Indonesian for quite some time, and it is also our duty to celebrate Indonesia's Independence Day.Asnat Crawley, Indonesian language teacher - Driver Primary School
This year, the school is celebrating Indonesia's Independence Day on the August 17th massively, with activities that invite the participation of the entire school community for the first time.
One such activity is the "door competition" — a contest to decorate classroom doors based on the theme "United in Diversity." Each classroom features Indonesian-themed decorations, and the winners will receive a prize of Indonesian famous snacks. Ms Crawley hopes that through this activity, students will not only learn the language but also experience what Independence Day celebrations are like in Indonesia. She hopes to show that language education is not merely about grammar and vocabulary, but also about understanding and celebrating the culture associated with the language.
As a gesture of gratitude to the school community who has enthusiastically supported this initiative, Ms Crawley will also serve tumpeng — a traditional Indonesian celebratory yellow rice dish — for the teachers at Driver Primary School to enjoy for the first time.
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