Al Azhar 55 Gets Ready for New Normal

Friday August 5th 2022

After a long period of learning at home during the pandemic, the students are going to go to school in the next academic year of 2021/2022. For the first time since online learning, students in all grades will be expected to study at school. The school prepares for welcoming the students. Since this is a new habit and a new normal, there are indeed some procedures to keep the students’ health and prevention from the spread of COVID-19 virus. First, all students are required to have their temperature checked before getting to the class, register to their teachers and clean their hands with hand sanitizers at the school’s screening point. Some teachers stand by with hand-held thermometers to check the temperatures of students.
The new normal of going to school during COVID-19 may not remain unfamiliar to the children. The students will see posters and information related to COVID-19 everywhere around the school corner. The students and teachers use masks while studying. The desks are set further apart and arranged so that the students are all facing the same direction and not facing each other. The morning activities are cancelled to prevent large gatherings. Fifty percent of the total students will study in a class. Every grade will be divided into two classes. All of these practices are implemented in line with the safe school guidelines.

Since the teachers got vaccinated already, it gives new hope for the learning process during pandemic. Distance learning might be a solution for studying learning might be a solution for studying at home during the pandemic, but the fact that school gives social experience and meaningful activities to the students cannot be denied. By following the school guidelines and procedures, the students are expected to study at school safely and healthy. We are so thankful and grateful to the parents for helping the teachers accompany the students during the distance learning. Finally, we hope that the next academic year of 2021/2022 will give new experiences to the students. Welcome to school, our beloved students.

Testimony

Prof. Dra. Hj. Suwarsih Madya, M.A., Ph.D.

Amidst the globalized situation which poses challenges of which one is a possible threat to identity, yet provides ample opportunities to excel for those who possess the prerequisites, we need to equip our children as the continuing generation with necessary competencies—affective, cognitive, psychomotor and interactive. In other words, we need to help them grow and develop into total persons and this can be achieved through the whole-child development approach which ensures the development of all potentials. In addition to this is the need for developing some competence which enables the children to communicate globally. All of this will ensure that the children will develop their citizenships both at the national and global levels. How can this ideal development be realized?

If you want to find out about how efforts are made to develop children’s whole potentials, you can come to SD Islam Al Azhar 55 Yogyakarta. Here you can see how the four-year old school has grown fast due to the stakeholders’ trust to send their children to study here. With only 54 children in the first year, this school now has 185 students. These students are educated to respect and preserve the social-cultural environment by learning the local language (Javanese, including the script) and arts (dance). Simultaneously, they certainly learn the national language (Bahasa Indonesia) and national content, which is unquestionable since it is compulsory, and English, which has now become a global lingua franca; thus, a prerequisite for successful global communication. More importantly, children in this school also learn to practise their religion consistently. So, in this school children’s identity is rooted in the local culture, with nationalism and global awareness being inherently developed together with reliogiosity.

Does the whole-child development approach at SD Islam Al Azhar still give room for children to excel? In my belief, when all their potentials are developed, children will have a greater chance to excel and I can see the truth in my belief in this primary school. In the last two years, the students have made great achievements in various competitions held at the local and national levels–gold medals in English, math and science competitions (national), silver and bronze medals in IT competitions (national), silver and bronze medals at colouring and swimming competitions (local) to mention some.

In conclusion, SD Islam Al Azhar has given evidence of the right efforts of true education to develop both intelligence and character.

Prof. DR. Budi S. Daryono, M.Agr. Sc.

Testimoni Sebagai Orang tua menyekolahkan anak Di Al-Azhar 55

Sudah menjadi kewajiban bagi orang tua untuk memberikan pendidikan yang terbaik bagi putra putrinya. Tantangan untuk mendidik anak di Era Global dan Digital pun semakin besar, kita tidak bisa lagi membendung segala perubahan yang begitu cepat terjadi, dan harus mempersiapkan anak-anak supaya bisa survive dan sholeh/sholehah tentunya. Saat ini dunia bagaikan kampung, dimana tidak ada batas-batas untuk melakukan transaksi kehidupan, untuk itu anak harus bisa berkomunikasi dengan bahasa universal sebagai modal utama. Disamping itu, pendidikah Ahlak dan Aqidah harus diberikan secara dini sebagai dasar anak dalam menghadapi gejolak gelombang kehidupan. Atas pertimbangan tersebutlah, kami selaku orang tua memilih untuk menyekolahkan putra kami tercinta Hikari di Sekolah Islam, yang menggunakan dua bahasa pengantar, yaitu Al-Azhar 55.

Prof. DR. Budi S.Daryono, M.Agr. Sc.