Jakarta – Astra Agro Lestari (Astra) Junior High School assisted by PT Astra Agro Lestari Tbk was awarded as Adiwiyata Mandiri School in 2022 from the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Research Technology on Thursday (1/12).
The school, located in Pandusenjaya Village, Pangkalan Lada Subdistrict, West Kotawaringin Regency, Central Kalimantan Province, received the award for its commitment to creating an environmentally friendly school and innovation in utilizing palm oil waste processing.
The awarding of the 2022 National Adiwiyata award which was held at the Dr. Ir. Soedjarwo Auditorium, Manggala Wanabakti Building was held in a hybrid manner.
From a total of 1,167 schools in Indonesia that participated in the 2022 National Adiwiyata event, 94 schools won Adiwiyata Mandiri in 2022 and 305 schools won Adiwiyata National in 2022.
In his speech, Dr. Iwan Syahril, Ph.D, Director General of Early Childhood Education, Primary Education, Secondary Education, Ministry of Education and Culture Research and Technology stated that schools must be able to work together to improve the quality of education in Indonesia.
“Congratulations to the school and related agencies for the award. Do not be easily satisfied with what is obtained. Maintaining is harder than getting,” said Dr. Iwan Syahril, Ph.D.
The 2022 National Adiwiyata School award assessment indicators are the application of environmentally friendly caring behavior, creating a school environment as a learning facility, saving energy, caring for and preserving endemic plants, and parental involvement in supporting environmentally friendly education.
Meanwhile, Ahmad Rofik, Principal of Astra Junior High School who represented the company to receive the award, said that the National Adiwiyata award was due to the school’s commitment and consistency in implementing an environmentally friendly school.
“The team’s struggle and cohesiveness in maintaining the consistency of implementing environmentally friendly behavior at school has paid off,” said Rofik.
According to him, this is also inseparable from the role of the Astra Agro Lestari Foundation which provides full support for the Adiwiyata School program in the Company’s Ring 1 Village Schools.
Furthermore, Rofik said that in addition to the commitment to implementing environmentally friendly behavior, his party also made innovations in the utilization of palm oil waste processing in the form of biobatteries, briquettes, and biopolybags. All three are creations of students in observing problems and utilizing the potential around the school.
“Through observing the surrounding environment, we explore the potential that exists in the school environment,” said Rofik.
Rofik explained that the biobattery innovation is an innovation of Astra Agro Lestari Junior High School students in utilizing used battery waste. In this case, students have been able to read environmental problems and try to find solutions.
Similarly, the innovation of briquettes from palm kernel shells, students who see waste from oil palm realize that palm kernel shells can still be used as fuel for cooking.
While other innovations, namely biopolybags with palm leaves, have the benefit of being a medium for sowing seeds made from organic raw materials that are environmentally friendly because the material is easily decomposed or biodegradable so it does not pollute the soil.
Rofik hopes that the Adiwiyata Mandiri 2022 award can motivate Astra Junior High School in creating an environment and school culture that consistently supports the creation of a scientific research center for students to become a positive inspiration for other schools in West Kotawaringin. (*)
