JAKARTA, GREENPRESSNET — A total of 113 Muhammadiyah schools from Jakarta, Depok, South Tangerang, and Bekasi gathered at the Muhammadiyah DKI Jakarta Dakwah Center on Wednesday (May 21, 2025) for the Socialization and Technical Guidance (Bimtek) of the Progressive Adiwiyata School Program.
This event marked a concrete step by Muhammadiyah in fostering an early culture of environmental awareness within educational institutions.
The event was a continuation of the launch of the Progressive Adiwiyata Program during the previous Ramadan, a collaboration between the Muhammadiyah Central Executive’s Environmental Council (MLH), the Council for Primary, Secondary and Non-Formal Education (Majelis Dikdasmen PNF), and the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (MoEF) of the Republic of Indonesia.
The School Desk: Starting Point for Environmental Change
In his remarks, Azrul Tanjung, Chair of the MLH PP Muhammadiyah, emphasized the importance of environmental education starting at school.
“This initiative is crucial because it concerns our comfort and safety in the future,” he stated.
Azrul, who also serves as Vice Chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), encouraged schools to move away from single-use plastic bottles and adopt reusable tumblers and gallon water dispensers.
“We want members of the Muhammadiyah community to adopt new, eco-friendly habits,” Azrul told Greenpressnet, mentioning plans to send formal letters to the Muhammadiyah Central Board and the Minister of Environment to support the movement.
Muhammadiyah Schools: Pioneers of Adiwiyata Among Mass Organizations
Khoirul Huda, Secretary of Majelis Dikdasmen PNF PP Muhammadiyah, expressed strong commitment to ensure this program becomes a leading practice across Muhammadiyah schools.
“Our hope is that Muhammadiyah schools can become role models for Adiwiyata and Green Schools throughout Indonesia,” he explained.
Support also came from the Ministry of Environment. Jo Komala Dewi, Head of the Center for Environmental Generation Development at MoEF, expressed admiration for Muhammadiyah’s role.
“I initially thought Muhammadiyah was just a regular religious organization. But it turns out they’ve done so much in environmental advocacy. This isn’t just a program—it’s a culture,” she remarked with awe.
She added that this initiative cultivates not only knowledge but also moral integrity toward both people and nature.
“This is the true essence of the Adiwiyata education,” she said.
Nurturing a Green Generation
Abdul Halim from Muhammadiyah Regional Board (PWM) Jakarta also praised the synergy among MLH, Dikdasmen, and MoEF.
“We fully support this initiative as a concrete form of the school’s role in raising environmental awareness,” he said.
The socialization and Bimtek session featured three main speakers: Djihadul Mubarok (Secretary of MLH PP Muhammadiyah), Dendi Wijaya S (from Majelis Dikdasmen PNF), and a representative from the Ministry of Environment. They emphasized the importance of cross-sector collaboration in building environmentally-aware school cultures, as well as technical strategies for registering and managing Progressive Adiwiyata Schools.
A Concrete Step Toward a Greener Future
This socialization and training session is expected to equip all Muhammadiyah schools with the tools to implement the Adiwiyata Program in a structured and measurable way.
It’s not just an effort to protect the environment—but also a form of environmental dakwah (Islamic advocacy) and character education rooted in Islamic values.
With the spirit of Progressive Islam (Islam Berkemajuan), Muhammadiyah reaffirms its commitment to being a pioneer in environmental consciousness within the education sector. Now, the journey toward a green generation is no longer just a discourse—it has begun in the classroom (Marwan Aziz)
