JIS

JAKARTA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

Jakarta International School (JIS) is a private, international school in Jakarta, Indonesia. It was established in 1951 for expatriate students living in Jakarta and is the largest international primary and secondary school in Indonesia. JIS has 2,400 students aged 3 to 18 from about 60 nationalities. The school adheres to North American and other curriculum models from pre-kindergarten through grade 12. It is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and the Council of International Schools. The United States Department of State reports the curriculum offered at Jakarta International School as "has a strong international focus",and considers it one of the best schools overseas for preparing students for American university entrance. JIS has three campuses, two solely for Elementary students in Pattimura and Pondok Indah, and one much bigger and considered the main campus for junior high and high school students in Cilandak, South Jakarta.

Jakarta International School was established in 1951, as a school for the children of United Nations staff posted in Jakarta, the capital of the then newly independent Indonesia. Due to an increased international presence in Jakarta, the school moved into newer facilities at its Pattimura campus in 1953. In 1969, the school became the "Joint Embassy School" under the sponsorship of the Australian, British, Yugoslavian, and United States Embassies. Architectural and engineering practice International Design Consultants (IDC) was commissioned to build additional facilities for the school. The new campus was built in Cilandak, a residential area in South Jakarta. The Cilandak campus was completed in 1977 and serves as the middle school and high school. The school adopted the name "Jakarta International School" in 1978.

Jakarta International School has three campuses totalling 46 acres (190,000 m²) and is one of the largest international schools in the world according to H2L2 Architecture. Pattimura Elementary (K-5) is located in the Kebayoran Baru area. Pondok Indah Elementary (K-5) and Cilandak (6-12) are adjacent to each other in Pondok Indah in South Jakarta. Facilities are mostly air-conditioned and include 184 classrooms, four theaters, three cafeterias, three tennis courts, six gymnasiums, six playing fields, three swimming pools, 18 science laboratories, design technology facilities, and four libraries with a total of 130,000 volumes. The school has a three-level food court, medical clinic, a school bus system run by the Bluebird company and an ambulance.

Since its founding, JIS has been affected by the political and economic turbulence of Jakarta, receiving both direct and indirect threats to its security. During the 1960s, an attempted coup d'état by the Communist Party of Indonesia forced the evacuation of the school. In 1998, the school year ended early due to riots leading up to President Suharto's resignation, during which time most expatriate families were evacuated from the country. JIS has also been a potential target for terrorism. Following the 2002 Bali bombings, JIS and other international schools in Jakarta closed for several weeks after warnings of a possible terror attack. JIS was also on the target list of the terrorist group responsible for the 2003 Marriott Hotel bombing, which killed 13 people.