Immunizationand Health Screening for Healthier Generation

Thursday October 10th 2024

Al Azhar 55 Islamic Primary School Yogyakarta runs an annual program to increase students’ awareness of healthy living habits. We also keep up with the latest health developments to improve their health status.

At the beginning of 2024, some news of an Outbreak of Polio in the Klaten area which borders Sleman Regency, Yogyakarta emerged. Polio, known as Poliomyelitis, is a highly contagious disease caused by the Poliovirus. The disease attacks the nervous system and can lead to paralysis. Although there is no cure for polio, it is preventable through polio immunization.

Al Azhar 55 immediately responded to the outbreak by coordinating with the Puskesmas (Public Healthcare Center) to follow the government’s direction. The Indonesian Ministry of Health instructed to ensure that all children aged 0 to 7 years in all regions of Central Java and East Java as well as Sleman Regency, Yogyakarta Province receive 2 additional doses of polio immunization drops in the Polio Sub National Immunization Week (Sub PIN) regardless of their previous immunization status.

In conducting the immunization, Al Azhar 55 collaborated with the Al Azhar 31 Kindergarten and Al Azhar 31. It took place at the Al Azhar Auditorium Yogyakarta as the number of students was pretty large. Active support from parents and cooperation with homeroom teachers effectively helped the process run smoothly. Dose 1 was carried out on January 19, 2024, and the second one on February 23, 2024, with a total of 99% students getting vaccinated.

In addition to the Pin Polio Immunization, Al Azhar 55 continues to run its annual program called BIAS immunization with 100% coverage. Aside from immunization, health screening is also annually carried out at the beginning of the academic year. Furthermore, evaluation checks are carried out within a period of 3 months, in order to follow the progress of referral students in their eye, dental and ear cases. As a preventive action, dental education is provided for grade 1 students by the dentist of Puskesmas Mlati 1. Students are taught about how to brush their teeth properly, as well as what to do to maintain dental health.

(Nawang Anjar Mulyani-Health Care Center)

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.