Modern and Humanistic Management: Three Days of Al-Zaytun Students’ Arrival
By: Budiyanto and Ali Aminulloh (MPAP Al-Zaytun)
A Gate That’s Never Empty
The morning at the north gate of Ma’had Al-Zaytun felt different in early December 2025. Buses and student coordinator cars streamed into the campus grounds. Over three days, December 5–7, more than 4,000 students returned from community study assignments.
The bustling atmosphere was more than just an annual influx of students. It was a concrete manifestation of Al-Zaytun’s fundamental principles: a modern, planned, orderly, and humane education. Every step the students took, from getting off the bus to arriving at their dormitory rooms, was part of a larger management effort designed to provide a safe, comfortable, and warm homecoming experience.
Weaving Order Behind the Scenes
Before the bus wheels touched the campus grounds, the teachers and the permanent committee of the Teachers’ Council had already been working long before. A coordination meeting was held, involving security, health, administration, and even dormitory management.
From this forum, a detailed arrival schedule was established: which group would arrive on the first day, which would arrive the following day, and how traffic would be divided to prevent congestion.
Each progress report was submitted directly to the Sheikh and the Chairman of the Indonesian Islamic Boarding School Foundation. For Al-Zaytun, orderliness is a form of respect for students: welcoming them with a clear system and humane service.
At the dormitory level, this principle is translated more concretely. The management focuses on one thing: students should feel at home upon arrival. From the reception staff, to the inspection of belongings, to the preparation of their rooms—everything is meticulously prepared.
Three Major Waves: A Mosaic from Various Regions
The return flow was divided into three days to ensure optimal service.
First Wave — Friday, December 5, 2025
The groups from South Jakarta, North Jakarta, Outside Java, and Malaysia arrived after Friday prayers. A total of 1,097 students were welcomed after the committee held a briefing at 1:00 PM.
Second Wave — Saturday, December 6, 2025
The busiest day. From morning to afternoon, 1,315 students from East Jakarta, West Jakarta, Banten, and Central Jakarta entered campus in a continuous and controlled flow.
Third Wave — Sunday, December 7, 2025
A total of 668 students from West Java, Central Java, East Java, and their families arrived after the Student Actor training. They concluded this year’s major homecoming series.
Three days, thousands of faces, one goal: to return to learning.
Layered System: Order that Maintains
Arriving at Al-Zaytun is not simply a matter of getting off the bus. Each student passes through a layered process designed for safety, health, and comfort.
1. North Gate: The First Gate of Order
Here, the security team records vehicles, the number of students, and the group’s identity. All of this is done in real time to ensure accurate data.
2. Tan Sri Building: Health is Mandatory
All students undergo a basic health check. For students in grades 4 to 12, urine tests are conducted as a demonstration of the campus’s commitment to maintaining a clean and healthy learning environment.
3. Pendopo: Data Ensured Order
In this administrative center, student identities are verified based on a carefully prepared group list.
4. Neat Logistics Efficiency
Students’ belongings are labeled according to their dormitory and transported directly by the committee truck. Students only need to bring their personal belongings. They are then transported by LKM Bus to their respective dormitories.
5. Dormitories: Relief After the Journey
Upon arrival at the dormitories, students report, save their money, call their parents to inform them of their safety, and undergo a security check. Once everything is complete, they go up to their rooms—with smiles of relief.
More Than Just a System
Behind the neat, uniformed ranks of committee members; behind the orderly traffic lanes; behind the meticulous inspections—there is a much deeper meaning.
Order at Al-Zaytun is not just about discipline. It is a form of respect for students as human beings being formed into healthy, intelligent, and characterful individuals.
The modern management implemented is not intended to coerce, but to teach: a good life begins with order, awareness, and responsibility.
When thousands of footsteps move in unison, a symphony of hope is created. Students return, not only to learn knowledge, but also human values.
From gate to room, this process teaches one message: order today is the foundation of tomorrow’s civilization.**
Indonesia, December 6, 2025
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