GREAT EXPERIENCE: Indonesian teachers Yovitha Fitriyana and Purhendi Bintang with St Catherine’s Catholic College kindergarten students on their last day at the school before they returned to the warmers climes of home.
APART from missing family and friends, it is hot weather that two visiting Indonesian teachers have missed most while visiting Australia.
Their visit coincided with Singleton’s first taste of winter weather and despite putting on as many coats and scarves as physically possible Yovitha Fitriyana and Purhendi Bintang still felt the cold.
With a year round average temperature of 30 degrees in their homeland, Singleton’s below zero degree starts to the mornings last week were a big shock for the visitors.
Despite the weather shock, the teachers thoroughly enjoyed their two weeks in Singleton studying educational concepts at the K-12 campus at St Catherine’s Catholic College.
The difference between their school, a year 7-9 campus for girls was the fact the Aussies students were “more active” according to Yovitha Fitriyana.
“Australian students ask so many more questions they are much busier in the classroom,” she said.
For Purhendi Bintang the most noticeable difference was the quality of the learning facilities.
While at the school they took the opportunity to visit a farm and saw their first lamb.
A tour of the Singleton district provided them with the chance to view one of Australia’s national symbols the kangaroo.
Both teachers would love to come back and bring their family with them. However, next time they would like to come in summer.
The tour was part of the BRIDGE Australia Indonesia project, a joint initiative of the Austalian government, AUSAID, the Asia Education Foundation, the Myer Foundation and the Australia-Indonesia Institute.
St Catherine’s was one of just 16 schools nationally chosen.
