History, Vision, & Mission

History of Wesley School

The name Wesley is taken from John Wesley, the well-known English evangelist and preacher. It implies that our educational program is distinctively Christian. The word International, while no longer in the name of the school, reflects the many nationalities represented in the student enrollment. Even from the school’s beginning, the student body at Wesley has consisted of up to many different nationalities. The curriculum is basically American, but includes various adaptations to the international and intercultural character of the school.

Wesley  School began in 1971 with Marcia Kirby coming to teach the four children of Dale and Marian Neff. Classes were held in their home. They called it the OMS Guided Learning Center. The following year a house was rented on Jl. Baluran and the other expat children were invited to join. The enrollment increased and diversified with the admission of a business family in 1975. The first non-English speaking children were accepted in 1980.

Because enrollment was increasing, by 1978 a larger building was imperative. The teachers and students delighted in the larger facilities at Jl. Raya Dieng 10, and the school by then was expanded through grade eight.  The school faced a major crisis during the 1979-80 school year because all but one of the teachers, Marilyn Wykes, either were due to leave or had to leave because of health reasons.

In 1980 the school made an all-out effort to become registered so that the teachers could obtain visas from the Department of Education. Recognition was granted in June of that year, the school took on the name Wesley International School, and the first new visa was granted in August to Deborah Wittig. At this time, enrollment had dropped and sixth grade was the highest grade offered.

In the mid 1980’s the school again experienced a growth spurt and outgrew her facilities. The school had to move for another reason as well. The owner sold the house at Jl. Raya Dieng and the new owner decided to move in. The teachers searched all over Malang for another place to rent or for land on which to build. A neighbor of Marilyn and Debbie told them about a new housing development in Tidar and land became available. In 1988 the school bought the land at Telaga Bodas 1 and the following August moved into its first real school building.

Elementary Class at Dieng Campus In 1998 the board decided to expand into a high school and added 9th grade. It was also in this era that the board began to eye a large piece of land behind the property on which to expand. But negotiations were complicated and difficult, and finally in November of 1999, the board decided to begin searching elsewhere. Almost immediately a large piece of farmland at Jl. Kwoka became available for an excellent price. Under the leadership of Vice-chairman Mark Freer, the land was bought and the present campus entered a construction phase. The secondary students first moved into the present campus in March of 2001. Then in August 2001 the elementary students also moved to the new campus, temporarily using the classroom/chapel space in the gymnasium building until the elementary building was built. It was just too difficult to oversee two campuses with limited manpower.

The beginning of 2002 saw construction of the new elementary underway and the first half of the building was finished in time to move in the first weekend of September that same year. Building continued on the second phase and the elementary classes expanded into the rest of the building just before school started in August of 2003. A new playground was built between the elementary building and the soccer field shortly afterwards.

Since then the school has seen steady but slow growth and expansion. In 2008, the school built 5 new classrooms in the high school, expanded other classrooms and renovated the school office in order to meet the needs of the growing school population. In addition the school has built a soccer ‘stadium’, enlarged car park and new gymnasium to continue to serve the needs of the school program. God has truly blessed us with the beautiful campus you see today.