After listening to overseas and domestic speakers, Lily Hujulia, 45, an English teacher at state junior high school SMPN 7 in Bekasi, West Java, said that although they presented some "really great ideas" for teaching, they weren't new things to her. "I can't apply them without support from the principal, the parents, other teachers and the students themselves ... That is not part of the culture of education in Indonesia," she said. "The idea of studying outside the classroom, for example, has been around for awhile," she said, commenting on a presentation about lessons learned through community development projects organized by the School for Life in Northern Thailand, which is supported by the King of Thailand. 

She added that even though the recent Educational Unit Level Curriculum (KTSP) allowed teachers more room to design their own innovative and creative learning sessions, she doubted that she could adopt the idea of "studying outside the classroom" at her school. "I haven't applied it yet due to the lack of support," she said.

Another language teacher, Yuyu, from state senior high school SMAN 106 in East Jakarta, said, "The speakers had really, really interesting points to make, but there was nothing entirely new." "Our school has been involved in community development projects for several years, so it's good to know that other people are fighting for the same thing," she said. A teacher for 12 years, Yuyu said she was certain she would be able to apply the practical ideas she got from the conference. "A presentation given yesterday (Tuesday) confirmed that teachers could integrate life skills with the curriculum without much cost," she said.

Sugeng Handayani, the principal of the National KPS Junior High School in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, said he was extremely interested in applying international standards at his school. "Every school, I think, wants to reach the international standard," he said after explaining that his school had incorporated recent trends in technology, like the Internet and multi-media.

A lecture on "A School of International Standard", given by Helen Morschel of Ciputra Elementary School, revealed that "international standard" does not mean that a school must arrange for foreign exchanges, use expensive teaching aids or have a strong foreign language department. She advised teachers to review their curricula, change their classroom environment and adjust to what the students would need to survive in the world in 10 to 20 years' time. A school of international standard, Morschel said, requires a balanced curriculum, teachers who are internationally minded and education that values freedom and conflict resolution, as well as respect for culture and the environment.