A BRIDGE of Learning: The Story of SDN Pajagalan and Bertram Primary School
The partnership between SDN 023 Pajagalan in West Java, Indonesia and Bertram Primary School in Perth, Western Australia began in 2014 through the Australia-Indonesia BRIDGE School Partnerships Program.
What started as a simple cross-cultural exchange has evolved over the years into a meaningful and long-standing relationship grounded in mutual respect, shared values, and a commitment to collaborative learning.
In the early stages of the partnership, students from both schools exchanged pen-pal letters, small yet powerful gestures that opened windows into each other’s lives and sparked curiosity and empathy. These early interactions laid the foundation for a journey of learning, sharing, and growing together as global citizens.
In 2023, the partnership was revitalized through a teacher visit from SDN Pajagalan to Bertram Primary School. Pak Lucky Miradi was selected through a process of involving the broader school community into the BRIDGE Program.
During his time in Australia, Pak Lucky observed classroom practices, exchanged cultural perspectives, and gathered ideas to enrich his own teaching back home. His visit not only enhanced professional skills but also deepened the spirit of collaboration between the two schools.
Reciprocally, Vincent Sweetman from Bertram Primary School visited SDN Pajagalan in October 2024. Warmly welcomed by the school community, his visit provided a valuable opportunity for mutual learning. Both schools embraced the chance to explore each other’s educational environments more deeply, reinforcing the importance of empathy, adaptability, and a shared commitment to improving education through meaningful cross-cultural engagement.
Building on this momentum, 2024 marked a significant milestone. The schools were awarded Competitive Grant Support (CGS), which enabled them to take their collaboration to the next level. The grant funded two major initiatives: a creative project involving the construction of paper statues of national landmarks using recycled materials, and a return teacher visit, this time with two teachers from SDN Pajagalan travelling to Bertram Primary School.
Completed in May 2025, the school-wide paper statue project brought together students, teachers, parents, and school staff in a collaborative effort to recreate iconic landmarks from Indonesia and Australia using only recycled paper. The initiative served as a creative platform to promote environmental awareness and sustainability while fostering teamwork and shared learning. The active involvement of parents underscored the vital role of community engagement in education, turning the project into a meaningful vehicle for environmental advocacy within the school.
Also funded by the grant program was the visit by two Indonesian teachers to Bertram Primary School in 10-18 May 2025. The Australian partner school visit significantly increased their awareness of evidence-based pedagogical strategies and inclusive teaching practices commonly used in Australia. These insights were later adapted and applied within their own school context, contributing to the continuous improvement of teaching and learning at SDN Pajagalan.
While coordinating activities across two countries posed some challenges, they were successfully addressed through strong communication and teamwork. The program also introduced project-based learning approaches that brought real-world relevance into the curriculum, increased student engagement, and strengthened teacher skills in planning and implementation.
The learnings and experiences gained through the grant were widely shared across the school community in both SDN Pajagalan and Bertram Primary School through internal workshops and outreach sessions involving BRIDGE and non-BRIDGE schools, as well as parents through the school committee, ensuring the impact extended beyond the immediate partnership.
SDN Pajagalan noted that the grant was highly aligned with their school’s needs, reinforcing their partnership with Bertram Primary School while enhancing the school’s overall capacity, inclusivity, and collaborative spirit.
