A showcase of past inventions, from waste
Students from the age of six to 16 from Idrissi International School in Shah Alam, Selangor thronged the hall of the Setia City Convention Centre at the end of the last school year to celebrate the Golden Age Invention Exhibition 2018.
Organised by the school, the exhibition featured the work and creativity of Idrissi students in applying recycling techniques to turn waste items into crafted gems. The exhibition resulted in more than 20 displays that were created with used and recycled material. Among the exhibits showcased were ‘Preservation for the Afterworld’ (Pyramids), ‘Arena of the Mind’ (Chess), illustrations and figures on blood circulation, and Code and Cryptography.
Idrissi International School religious advisor Sheikh Hussein Yee said that the Golden Age Invention Exhibition is not just a legacy but also a catalyst of change towards scientific endeavours by the young upcoming Muslim generation, all within the Quranic and Sunnah parameters.
“Looking at the creative inventions that were prepared by our students from recycled and upcycled materials shows that the exhibition is not merely showcasing the past legacy of Islamic civilisation but more importantly, it depicts a learning process taking place within the modern environment blending with Islamic principle and nature,” said Yee.
Idrissi school has been dubbed the world’s first eco-Islamic school and takes its environmental education seriously.
“The school believes that it is of utmost importance for society to equip children with the attitudes, values, knowledge and skills necessary to rethink and change current patterns of action, and to secure a healthy and sustain able future for all,” Yee added.
“More importantly, effective environmental education programmes need to be relevant to the everyday lives of children, and at the same time enable students to explore what is in their own backyard.
“It is important that programmes are directly related to the local context and give learners a chance to discover and experience what is around them,” he concluded.
The exhibition also saw a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) being signed between Idrissi International School with Turkish world-wide non-profit organisation Yunus Emre Institute for the purpose of applying Turkish archery in the school’s curriculum.
On behalf of the Turkish delegation, the second son of the Turkish President and board member of the Okcular Vakfi (Foundation of Archers) Board of Trustees, Necmeddin Bilal Erdogan said that the signing of the MOU marks another quantum leap between both countries’ bilateral relations.
“For me personally, Turkish archery has its own legacy and history that we can be proud of, not only to us but for Muslims at large. The Turkish people were renowned for both their exceptional skills and their superior weapons but archery was a unique combat art that was developed and reached its zenith during the Ottoman Empire. This is the heritage of our ancestors and we will safeguard and keep it alive today,” said Erdogan.
He commended Idrissi school’s unique education concept.
“Other than the Cambridge syllabus and practical Islamic education, Idrissi incorporates patch farming activities as a learning tool in its eco-based curriculum. I was made to understand that the lessons are hands-on. Each child will be taught how to plant a tree. The school is equipped with a dedicated area for children to learn to farm and they will be responsible for taking care of their plants. The best part is they will be harvesting and cooking the produce from their plants.”
He then added: “The world is changing very fast. It is important to develop a compass for students. In an uncertain world they have to learn how to find their own way.
“I believe that education in the 21st century should enable everyone to be in charge of their own life and chart their own destiny.
“Our goal is for all students to develop into balanced individuals who can contribute in meaningful ways to society, and draw on their own internal resources to continue to learn, apply their strengths and address their weaknesses,” Erdogan concluded.