Behind the controversy over the abolition of madrasas in the National Education System Bill : Indonesia

It is not unmitigated that the existence of madrasas is regulated in TAP MPRS No. 27 of 1966 and in TAP MPRS No. 2 of 1960, which emphasized that madrasas are autonomous educational institutions under the supervision of the Minister of Religion

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Entering the month of Ramadan 1443 Hijriyah/2022, the national media presented many polemics related to the issue of the abolition of madrasas in the Revision of the National Education System Law (Sisdiknas) Number 20 of 2003.

As reported by the news on the banten.antaranews portal, March 31, 2022 edition, for example, contains a statement from the General Chairperson of PB Al-Khairiyah asking for the discussion of the National Education System Bill to be discontinued because it does not mention the phrase madrasah so that it injures the purpose of education in shaping the character of akhlakul karimah and is irrelevant to the importance of solutions to the problems of the current national education system.

Whereas the previous day, the LKBN ANTARA Bureau of Bali in its news report contained a statement by Minister of Education and Technology Nadiem Anwar Makarim that from the start there was no desire or plan to remove schools, madrasas, or other forms of education units from the national education system.

A thing that makes no sense and never crossed his mind at all.

The Mendikbudristek statement is correct, because madrasas already have long roots in the history of the struggle for education in Indonesia before independence.

Institutionally, Islamic education began to develop in the early 20th century with the establishment of madrasas and Islamic boarding schools or surau on the islands of Java, Sumatra and Kalimantan.

The spirit of establishing madrasas as the center of Muslim education is based on at least two things, first, traditional Islamic education is less systematic and structured.

Second, the rate of development of Dutch-style schools in society tends to expand and carry a secular character so that it must be balanced with a more organized and planned Islamic education system.

Thus, an Islamic education system in the form of madrasas was established, both in Java and outside Java, including the Pondok Pesantren Tebuireng Jombang (1899), East Java, founded by KH Hasyim Asy'ari.

The formal madrasa was founded in 1919, under the name Salafiyah, and was cared for by KH Ilyas (former Minister of Religion). This madrasa provides religious knowledge and general knowledge. The Dutch government's policy towards Islamic education at that time was basically repressive.

This was due to the Dutch government's concern about the emergence of an anti-colonial attitude from the madrasa. Therefore, Islamic education must be controlled, supervised, and controlled.

One of the policies provided was the issuance of a teacher ordinance, namely the obligation for religious teachers to have a permit from the Dutch government.

As a result of the implementation of the teacher ordinance, not everyone can become a religious teacher and is allowed to teach in educational institutions even though he or she is a religious expert.

The background of the issuance of this ordinance is to suppress it in such a way that religious education does not become a trigger for people's resistance against the invaders. In addition to the teacher ordinance policy, the Dutch government also enforces the illegal school ordinance.

This Ordinance regulates the obligation to obtain permission from the Dutch East Indies government for the provision of education, reporting on the curriculum and school conditions. Incomplete reports are often used as an excuse to close educational activities.

The repressive actions of the colonialists did not bear much fruit, as evidenced by many madrasa students and alumni who became fighters against the invaders, forming laskars such as Laskar Hezbollah which became the embryo of the founding of the TNI.

Seeing the magnitude of the role of madrasas in the struggle of the Indonesian people in developing human resources, after independence the Indonesian government gave considerable attention to the development of madrasas.

It is not unmitigated that the existence of madrasas is regulated in TAP MPRS No. 27 of 1966 and in TAP MPRS No. 2 of 1960, it was emphasized that madrasas were autonomous educational institutions under the supervision of the Minister of Religion.

So it is true that Mendikbudristek Nadiem Anwar Makarim said it was impossible to abolish madrasas through the law or the regulations under it. If it is abolished, it is a violation of the law that causes great losses to the Indonesian people.

Education Statistics data emispendis.kemenag.go.id semester 2019/2020 shows the total. There are 82,418 madrasah in Indonesia, mostly around 95.1 percent are private madrasah. And only 4.9 percent are state madrasah. If madrasas are removed, the government will not have enough funds to finance the replacement educational institutions.

It is increasingly difficult for the government to carry out the mandate of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia Article 31 paragraph 3 (3). The government shall endeavor and organize a national education system that enhances faith and piety and noble character in the context of the intellectual life of the nation which is regulated by law.

The first Minister of Education, Teaching and Culture (PP&K) Ki Hajar Dewantara also stated firmly that religious education needs to be carried out in state schools. But it is clear that madrasas allow more space for religious teaching.

The revision of the 2003 National Education System Law should address some of the madrasah's problems so far. For example, there is an assumption and treatment that madrasas are still seen as second-class schools after public schools.

In addition, the community still has the image that madrasas are schools that lack quality, quality and graduates are less able to compete in continuing at their favorite classy school or college. There are still many who see schools in madrasas as having an "unclear" economic future.

There needs to be a projected mapping of madrasa graduates, especially madrasah aliyah (MA) -- at the high school level -- about interests, competencies and opportunities after graduation with the opportunity to continue higher education or serve the community as ustadz, Koran teacher, preacher, who have so many opportunities in the community. or work in the economic sector of trade, industry, self-employment, offices and so on.

If the new revised National Education System Law can formulate the above issues through the articles of the new law, it is hoped that madrasas can be transformed into educational institutions that bring more progress and benefit to the people and the nation. Hopefully.