Parents Question SMAN 2 Kabupaten Tangerang's Transparency Following Study Tour Cancellation

The cancellation of SMAN 2 Kabupaten Tangerang Goes to Campus (GTC) program has sparked controversy as parents report partial refunds and additional charges, leading to allegations of unauthorized fees and lack of transparency.​

In early 2025, SMAN 2 Mauk in Tangerang Regency planned a GTC program for its students—11th graders were to visit Yogyakarta at a cost of IDR 1.9 million, while 10th graders had a local trip planned for IDR 900,000. However, following a directive from the Banten Provincial Education Office prohibiting such tours, the program was canceled.​

Despite the cancellation, parents reported that they did not receive full refunds. For 11th-grade students, only IDR 1.4 million was returned, with IDR 500,000 withheld without clear explanation. Similarly, 10th-grade students received IDR 500,000 back, with IDR 400,000 deducted.​

Adding to the controversy, screenshots from a class WhatsApp group revealed that parents who had not initially paid were asked to contribute IDR 375,000 to cover "compensation to the travel agency" (Jurnal Patroli News, April 15, 2025).​

One parent expressed frustration:​

"I didn't participate from the start because I couldn't afford it. Now they're asking me to pay compensation. It's hard enough to make ends meet daily; why is a public school doing this?"​

The Indonesian Journalists Forum (FWJI) of Tangerang Regency has raised concerns about potential unauthorized charges and administrative misconduct.​

"If there's no official agreement or legal basis, then such deductions or charges could be considered unauthorized," said Irawan Sumardi, FWJI Tangerang Regency Coordinator.​

FWJI has reported the matter to the Banten Provincial Education Office, the Inspectorate, and the Ombudsman of the Republic of Indonesia for further investigation.​

As of this report, the school has not provided an official statement regarding the fee deductions or the request for compensation payments.​

Source: Jurnal Patroli News

Belajar Bahasa Itu Gak Instan (Apalagi Listening!)

Pernah gak sih kamu lagi nonton film atau interview artis luar, terus mikir, "Loh, ini mereka ngomong bahasa Inggris kan? Kok aku gak ngerti apa-apa ya?"
Tapi giliran subtitle-nya nyala—baik itu Inggris-Inggris atau Inggris-Indonesia—langsung kayak, “OH itu maksudnya!”

Tenang, kamu gak sendiri. Aku juga sering banget ngerasain hal itu, dan ternyata… itu wajar banget. 

Listening itu skill tersendiri

Kadang kita ngerasa udah lumayan jago bahasa Inggris karena bisa baca artikel, nulis caption aesthetic, atau chatting sama mutual. Tapi waktu dengerin native speaker ngomong, otak langsung nge-lag.
Itu karena listening tuh skill yang beda. Dan seriusan, native speaker tuh cepet banget ngomongnya, suka ngelipet kata, atau gabung-gabungin jadi satu kayak “gonna”, “wanna”, “lemme”, dll.

Telinga kita belum terbiasa

Kita tuh kebanyakan belajar bahasa Inggris dari teks dulu—buku, soal ujian, atau subtitle. Jadi otak kita lebih familiar sama visual input. Tapi begitu yang muncul cuma suara doang? Otak kita belum punya cukup “bank suara” buat ngerti.

Bayangin aja kayak lagi disuruh nebak lagu dari potongan kecil. Kalau belum sering dengerin lagunya, ya susah nebaknya, kan?

Mereka Ngomong Cepet BANGET (dan Kadang Aneh)

Contoh paling legendaris? Harry Potter.
Aksen British, ngomongnya cepet, dan pake kata-kata ajaib yang gak pernah diajarin di sekolah.
Pas pertama kali nonton, aku cuma bisa duduk bengong sambil mikir:
“Mereka ngomong apa sih? Bahasa Inggris kah itu… atau Parseltongue?”

Misalnya nih:

• “What d’you reckon, Harry?”
  (Artinya: “Menurut kamu gimana, Harry?” Tapi pas denger pertama kali kedengarnya kayak “Wadj’reckonarry?” 😵‍💫)

Dan jangan lupakan scene legendaris:
“It’s LeviOsa, not LevioSAR.”
Hermione literally ngajarin kita pronunciation! Tapi waktu pertama kali denger, aku malah bingung:
“Lho, itu mereka ngomong apa sih kok ribut gara-gara kata satu doang?”

Itu semua jadi masuk akal setelah subtitle dinyalain. Baru deh otak aku bisa bilang:
“Ohhh jadi itu yang mereka omongin…” 😮‍💨

Subtitle = GPS Buat Otak Kita

Begitu ada subtitle, semuanya jadi lebih masuk akal. Kita kayak dapet peta buat ngerti suara-suara asing tadi.
Misalnya kamu denger: “didja eat yet?”
Pas liat teksnya: “Did you eat yet?”
Langsung, “Aaaahhh… jadi itu maksudnya!”

Pro Tips Buat Kamu yang Mau Meningkatkan Listening

1. Mulai dari film/series yang kamu suka.
   Kalau kamu Potterhead, tonton ulang Harry Potter tapi kali ini pakai English subtitles.
   Siapa tahu sekaligus belajar mantra baru 😄

2. Gunakan English subtitles dulu.
   Biar sekalian belajar vocabulary dan pronunciation. Jangan langsung skip ke no-subtitle kalau belum siap. Ini bukan lomba cepat-cepetan kok.

3. Ulangin scene yang menarik.
   Misalnya scene waktu Hermione bilang, “Honestly, don’t you two read?”
   Itu bisa banget buat latihan intonasi khas British Hermione 🤓

4. Latihan shadowing.
   Coba ikutin cara mereka ngomong, intonasi, dan gaya bicara. Awkward sih awalnya, tapi efektif banget!

Akhir kata…

Jangan minder kalau kamu belum bisa ngerti native speaker tanpa teks. Kita semua butuh waktu buat “ngebiasain” telinga. Yang penting, terus nikmatin prosesnya entah itu lewat film, drama, interview, atau video TikTok sekalipun.

Kamu udah keren banget karena you’re trying, and that’s what counts 💪✨