There are many arguments in favor of a boarding school education. Nevertheless, the boarding school is not always the best education institution for everyone.

At an early age interacting and communicating with people is very important for a child’s personal life and can be especially helpful for his/her future. In a boarding school, shy children can take advantage of interaction through communal activities. The boarding school also offers a great variety of activities such as arts, sports, and music that allow children to demonstrate and develop specialized skills in their free time.

Furthermore, the structured way of life and strict rules at the boarding school may help students to get used to a well ordered way of life. The manners and social skills will help them to become more responsible and confident, and to develop their talents in leadership. Professionally trained teachers and educators in the boarding school can offer excellent education without the parents’ constant supervision.

In spite of these good points, it is not advisable to send a child to a boarding school if he/she is a dependent learner. A boarding school usually demands that students learn independently. In addition, the boarding school should not be seen as a measure to solve inappropriate behaviour or unsatisfactory study performance. Instead of improving, problematic children may close off their relationship with their peers and teachers.

In conclusion, although a boarding school may provide good education to many children, it is not recommended for those who are strongly attached to their families. They may become frustrated and socially isolated.

‘Laskar Pelangi’: The Audacity of Hope

This is a movie adapted from a best-selling Indonesian novel. It took \(40\) days of filming on Belitung Island, Bangka-Belitung province. Involving \(12\) local actors, it reportedly cost Rp \(8\) billion. With all the efforts of transforming Laskar Pelangi (Rainbow Warrior) into a movie picture, will it satisfy readers’ imaginations?

Laskar Pelangi, the novel, was written by Andrea Hirata in \(2005\), based on his own experiences. It is about an inspiring teacher and her \(10\) students in the poverty-stricken Kampung Gantung in Belitung. The poor condition of their school building does not dampen their high spirits and hopes for a better future.

Two years later, the novel became a phenomenon in Indonesian literature. With its humanistic touch, Laskar Pelangi has sold more than \(500{,}000\) copies and has won the position of Must-Read Novel in every corner of the nation’s bookshops and media review pages. It has finally overcome the domination of teen-lit, chick-lit and even religious novels, the popular theme of today.

Andrea entrusted the filming of the story to the respected figures in the film industry, Mira Lesmana and Riri Riza, as producer and film director. In July \(2007\), Mira and Riri started the pre-production, which took a year to finish. Together with the scriptwriter Salman Aristo they decided to create a different scenario for the film.