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A large expat community and a wide choice of international schools mean that kids and family life in Jakarta will be well supported. There are plenty of activities for children conducted in English and other languages.
Jakarta is a fascinating place to raise globally minded children. They will grow up surrounded by different cultures and languages, and learn to interact with all kinds of people.
Childcare in Jakarta is easy to arrange for expat families. Indonesian nannies are used to working with foreign families and can accommodate most requests and needs. Nannies can grow very attached to children and can become the go-to person when you need help with a translation or just with everyday life in Jakarta.
Education in Jakarta
Education in Jakarta caters to a wide range of educational philosophies, and you'll have no shortage of schools to choose from. The biggest challenge will be to decide which programme best meets your child's needs.
International schools in Jakarta are often the preferred choice for expat families who know that they will be in Jakarta for a specific length of time. The curriculum followed is easily validated and transferable to other international schools in different countries and even back home, wherever that might be. The top international schools recruit internationally qualified educators, and many employ a good proportion of expat staff alongside local teachers.
Your school of choice will likely determine the area where you search for rental accommodation. Traffic conditions in the city can seriously eat into the day, so a home close to your children's school will help them take advantage of everything on offer.
Education and Schools in Jakarta
International Schools in Jakarta
Entertainment for kids in Jakarta
Entertainment for kids in Jakarta may look different from what you're used to back home, but there is no shortage of things to do.
Both local and expat families in Jakarta enjoy the extensive mall culture, which offers a variety of indoor entertainment options for children. Malls in Jakarta are large, and they typically have multiple storeys of food, entertainment, and shops. Malls are a great place to find entertainment options for children as they have indoor playgrounds, bowling alleys, family-friendly karaoke venues, and movie theatres.
Beyond the city limits, expat families can take in natural attractions like the tea plantations in Bandung or the botanical gardens in Bogor. The tea plantations and strawberry farms are a great option for those who want to teach their children about nature. The botanical gardens in Bogor city and the safari park in the wider Bogor regency provide a green, cool break from the Big Durian's heat and hustle.
Challenges for expat parents in Jakarta
The biggest challenges for expat parents in Jakarta tend to be infrastructural. The city has grown faster than its infrastructure can keep pace with, and this shows in everything from highway congestion to drainage and sewerage.
The traffic congestion in Jakarta poses a significant challenge for many expats, especially when they are out and about with children. The lack of clean pavements and the poor air quality rule out travel on foot as a practical option. Public transport has improved considerably thanks to the MRT and TransJakarta bus network, but most expat families with young children still rely on cars and ride-hailing apps for daily travel. A stroller is hard to manage outside unless you stick to the mall.
Cultural differences with Jakartans can sometimes lead to miscommunications. Expats sometimes incorrectly interpret a local's intentions because of cultural differences more than language barriers; for example, the greater emphasis that Jakartans place on saving face. It helps to learn some Indonesian and read up on local norms to bridge the communication divide.
Seasonal floods are another reality of life in Jakarta. The rainy season runs roughly from October to March, and parts of the city flood regularly during heavy downpours. School closures and road disruptions are common during peak rainfall months, so keep this in mind when you decide where to live.