Money is still a problem for the school, and many of the parents have put a lot of effort into fund-raising. Fees are kept low to enable poor families to enroll their children. But that policy is problematic, as the school’s running costs are high. The kids use paper, pens, toys, books and of course, growing bodies need to be fed. But as Dayu said: "I was prepared to work for a minimal wage because the satisfaction of working here is greater than my need for money. I just need to be able to eat."

Paul, the lithe, rangy, energetic and committed administrator, is clear about the school’s aims. "First it is a project for Indonesians. We want Indonesians to benefit from this school. In a rapidly changing world, children have to be prepared by experiencing a flexible, creative educational system. This school is for Indonesians first and Westerners second. We hope that through this school we can provide a place where Indonesian teachers can learn new skills and share information. We also want the school to be self-sufficient - to be independent - run and funded by Indonesians, eventually. We hope it can become a model of how to teach the state curriculum in a way that excites and challenges. We are not interested in dependency or colonialism."

The school has achieved such a reputation that enrollments have shot up from an initial 20 TK (Taman Kanak-kanak: kindergarten) and 17 SD (Sekolah Dasar: primary school) kids in 1997, to the 60 TK and 85 SD that are expected to enroll in the year 2000. That the majority of children are Indonesian is a sign that the school has succeeded in its aim not to provide a haven for expatriate children, but instead to provide a diverse and caring learning environment for all children regardless of race and ethnicity. The Suta Dharma school is possibly one of the best examples of Indonesia’s national motto: Unity in Diversity. The children are of mixed nationalities. Right now Austrian, German, Italian, Thai, American, English and of course Indonesian kids learn and play together - blond hair blends with glossy black. The accents attached to the Bahasa Indonesia that is the school’s official language are as varied as the colours of the Leggo on the floor. Suta Dharma has also welcomed four special kids, three of them from one family. Thanks to the Ubud-based philanthropic Foundation, Bali Hati, these kids now have wheelchairs, which the more able-bodied kids at Suta Dharma tend to hijack to do circuits of the playground. It is hard to tell which are the special kids, as they blend so seamlessly into school life and are quite obviously integrated. "When the disabled child first started in TK, she was unable to walk, so the other kids just crawled on the ground to be at her level. They didn’t even think about it. They just did it. It was amazing," said Paul.