All posts

As a teacher for 20 years, I’ve lost count of parents saying, “I just want my child to be happy.” Without realizing the dread this fills teachers with. It is synonomous with rudderless parenting and directionless children. This well-intentioned wish often stems from a modern cultural emphasis on the emotional state of happiness, yet it can (and does) create challenges for children, classrooms, and society. Students end up prioritizing short-term feelings over long-term growt

In Bali, we frequently hear parents say things like: “My child is leaving our current school and going straight into Grade 9.” Soon followed by:“They’re now top of their Grade 9 class.” At first glance, this sounds reassuring—even impressive. Unfortunately, for many families, the reality only becomes clear much later, when students sit externally moderated exams such as IGCSE or AS Level  and struggle badly or fail outright. This is not because the child is incapable. It is b

One of the most persistent beliefs in education is that children who fall behind in the primary years will somehow “catch up” once they reach secondary school. It is an understandable hope — but it is largely untrue . This misunderstanding often leads to unfair pressure on secondary teachers , frustration for parents, and, most importantly, avoidable stress and disadvantage for students. Let’s look at why. What the Evidence Shows Large-scale longitudinal studies in the UK a

In today’s fast-paced society, we often overlook a difficult but important truth: many people live without a clear, consistent sense of vision or purpose. Without an authentic inner compass, individuals can become directionless—moving quickly, yet going nowhere. Too often, what passes for “purpose” is not genuinely chosen, but subtly inherited. Goals are shaped by engineered narratives, social expectations, and mass messaging rather than by personal reflection, values, or liv

Climbing Out of The Hole I used to be the kid who ate lunch alone, never spoke to anyone, and spent every free hour locked in my room. Life felt empty, like I was just existing. Everything changed when I decided to step out. Now I chat with people effortlessly, play during breaks, and actually do things after school. I’ve picked up climbing, badminton, football, and even drawing. To my surprise, I’m decent at football—I can score goals—and drawing has become something I’m gen

Part 1: Pushing Through the Tough Stuff My math used to be really weak, but now it’s steadily getting better. I still don’t love it, yet I keep showing up every day because I know it’s essential for my future—especially to pass the IGCSE with strong grades. The same goes for football. I wasn’t very motivated before, but once I improved, everything changed. Now I play every single day, eagerly joining in during PE and break time. Part 2: Life Without Screens is Actually Epic S

Following 20 years of teaching across several countries, one of the clearest patterns I’ve observed is captured by an old, slightly cheeky saying: “Boys bond by insulting each other but don’t really mean it. Girls bond by complimenting each other… and often don’t really mean it either.” While a generalization, this contains more than a grain of truth and is backed by developmental psychology.  It's no secret that boys' academic performance accross schools and universities has

We live in Indonesia, a country rich in culture and traditions. Every society is shaped by its own culture and customs, and from these arise the norms and rules that guide people’s lives. These norms become guidelines that people are expected to obey and follow. Yet, within the bounds of culture and tradition, many restrictions are still placed on women. Some people believe that women don’t need a high level of education. This mindset hinders the progress of Indonesian women.

Skywalker student shares his journey towards a vision to become a pro-footballer.

Glow-Up: Finding My Confidence I’ve been at Skywalker since the very beginning, and I’ve seen all its ups and downs. I’ve always been a social person, but for the longest time, I struggled with terrible stage fright. I’ll never forget the year I was so overwhelmed during a show that I cried in front of everyone. But the person I am today is more confident. Through a lot of self-development here at Skywalker, I faced my fears head-on and ended this year with a performance I wa

If we wish to build strong, cohesive communities, our goal must be to foster mutual responsibility, respect, and the sustainable use of our shared resources. Ideally, these essential habits are first nurtured in a high-trust environment: the family and by extension, the community of learning. The Lesson We Learned Early in our school's journey, we recognized a clear pattern: resources provided freely, without a sense of personal responsibility, are often undervalued and, ulti