The mother of four children, Wanti Wowor took it upon herself to ensure that her kids were getting quality education. Determined to equip herself with the right tools needed to assist them in their studies, Wanti embarked on learning everything about home schooling, perusing through books and other resources, “As we were living in the United States of America at that time, it was very convenient for me to go to libraries and read up on the different theories. I was also able to create a community of friends who were also interested in the same endeavour and supported me in establishing a credible home schooling programme.”

Now the Founder and Headmaster of Morning Star Academy, Wanti has gone on to share her dream of quality education to other children in Indonesia, “Initially, I just wanted to cater to the requests of my friends who were asking me to help them out with their kids. Slowly, I realised there was a demand for this kind of school, which specifically focuses on the potential of the children. My main vision for Morning Star Academy is to produce graduates that are competent, enthusiastic about the future, able to come up with new ideas and possess critical thinking skills. My aim is to allow kids to enjoy school, and not be burdened by it,” she adds. Admittedly, Wanti knows that hers is not a short-term goal but this does not deter from her passion. “Imparting the values of education is not easy. It takes a lot of patience, stamina plus clear direction. In addition, there are no quick fixes. One must not be fixated on just the results, but also pay attention to the process of getting to the desired outcome.”

Offering classes from pre-kindergarten to grade 12, Morning Star Academy is the fruition of Wanti’s many years of research and hard work. Located in Kuningan, the school, with the tagline ‘Building the Nation through Education,’ is built on an entirely new concept of education, “This type of school is something very different from what we have here in Indonesia. We are here not just to educate the students, but also to impart to parents how vital their roles are in the success of their children. As we are based on home schooling principles, we pay particular attention to the fact that kids only stay in school for about seven hours a day and spend the rest of their lives outside school. We are responsible for just a fraction of their education, and their parents must take charge of the rest. This is why we find it important to also educate and inform parents about the different principles they can apply at home. This ensures that the children are able to truly absorb their lessons, and they are encouraged to take responsibility for their work.”

At Morning Star Academy, it is not a rare occurrence to find parents accompanying their children to their classrooms. Having an open door policy, Wanti finds that it is beneficial for parents to observe how their children are in school, allowing them to see where their children’s problems lie, “Although this somewhat raises some concerns, I have found that in order to fully involve the parents, they must take an active part not only in the home but also in what their children are doing in school. This fosters closeness while at the same time updating the parents on what the kids are working at, helping them follow through at home. I know what the parents’ concerns are as I am a parent myself, and this drives me to do better for this school. Here at Morning Star Academy, we are not just focused on academics. The kids have three days of school, but at the same time they are also able to develop social skills, which they will need in the future,” says Wanti.

Adopting a more conservative manner of teaching, Morning Star Academy encourages children to develop their thought processes by way of essay questions, which are used in examinations and homework, “We would like to mould our students to be credible, contributing members of society. By asking them essay questions, we allow them to engage themselves in the world, to look beyond just their immediate surroundings and explore. We hope that eventually, as they leave the school grounds and embark on their futures, that they would become relevant citizens who would give something back to our nation,” conveys the determined professional who counts reading biographies as one of her hobbies.

With the international curriculum of Morning Star Academy, Wanti admits that the school prepares students for overseas study, therefore catering to the mid to upper class levels of society. However, it is also Wanti’s aim to extend help and education to the underprivileged children of Indonesia, “The gift of education should not only be limited to the people who can afford it. This is why I have endeavoured to also teach those from the low classes. It makes me happy to see the changes in their characters, how they are motivated to behave and present themselves in a better way. It is very uplifting to equip them with knowledge and the skills that later on can be fruitful in their development as human beings and Indonesians.”