After extensive renovations, Jakarta Intercultural School marks a new chapter of its historic campus and commitment to excellence through inclusive, world-class learning.
Jakarta Intercultural School (JIS) celebrated a significant milestone in its seven-decade history on the 2nd of September 2025, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its newly renovated campus in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta.
The event marked the culmination of a two-and-a-half-year redevelopment project at JIS Pattimura Elementary (PEL), designed to provide innovative learning spaces that integrate established benchmarks with leading-edge approaches in globalised education. PEL’s international community comprises children from Early Years to Grade 5, spanning the ages of three to eleven.
“This is a proud day for the entire JIS family! Today, we inaugurate a beautifully renovated campus that reflects our cherished history and the bright future ahead of us,” says JIS Head of School Maya Nelson. “For 72 years, Pattimura Elementary has been a place of community and connection, shaping the foundations of lifelong learning for generations of JIS students. Today, PEL enters a new phase in its enduring story at the forefront of elementary education — this is a truly exciting time for our school!”
PEL holds a special place in JIS’s longstanding legacy as Indonesia’s first international-standard school and one of the earliest established in Southeast Asia. As JIS’s first official campus, it opened its doors in 1953 with the aim of providing a well-rounded learning experience rooted in best practices from around the world. Over the decades, it has grown and evolved to meet changing global standards, educational research, and the diverse needs of its students.
The recent renovation, according to PEL Principal Jill Bellamy, is a reflection of “our deep commitment to providing a warm, inspiring, and child-centred environment for learning.”
“This renewed space will enhance our students’ daily experiences and support greater collaboration, creativity, and connection across our community. As we reopen PEL, we’re excited about the future — one where children feel a deep sense of belonging and are empowered to thrive in every aspect of their learning journey,” she adds.
During the inauguration of the JIS Pattimura Elementary School building, Prof. Dr. Abdul Mu’ti, M.Ed., Minister of Primary and Secondary Education of the Republic of Indonesia, expressed his gratitude for this significant event.
He remarked, “Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, which translates to ‘Unity in Diversity,’ underscores the importance of maintaining our unique identities while appreciating our differences. It is essential that we leverage these differences as a foundation for unity as global citizens. Jakarta Intercultural School serves as an exemplary model of how this principle is effectively integrated into everyday educational practices.”
He further emphasised the commitment of the Indonesian government, under the leadership of President Prabowo Subianto, to providing outstanding educational institutions staffed with highly qualified teachers and equipped with excellent facilities. The recent renovations at JIS Pattimura Elementary embody this vision, aiming to deliver quality, multicultural, and globally competitive education for future generations.
Key highlights in the redevelopment include a two-storey library with inviting areas to inspire a love of reading, literacy, and research; spacious classrooms to support inquiry-driven learning; an Experiential Learning Lab emphasising hands-on learning; a fully equipped theatre, as well as music and dance rooms, to encourage the performing arts; and an expanded Maker Space where students can explore their creativity and begin science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) concepts.
Further additions provide enhanced purpose-built classrooms for the JIS Learning Center (JLC), designed to better support children with moderate to severe learning needs, as well as a Sensory Room featuring multi-sensory equipment to support students’ emotional, social, and physical development.
Students, teachers, and staff have already made use of these innovative spaces, but the ribbon-cutting ceremony gave the entire JIS community a chance to come together in celebration of this major milestone.
“Pattimura Elementary is ready for its next chapter. Together, we can make it truly special; one filled with joyful learning and meaningful growth, rooted in excellence,” Ms Nelson says.