RI's 'madrasah' producing techno-illiterates<\/p>\n
Mochtar Buchori, Educator, Legislator, Jakarta, mbuchori@indo.net.id<\/p>\n
Western observers have concluded that in Pakistan and
\nAfghanistan, the madrasah (Islamic schools) are a hotbed for
\nIslamic fundamentalism and a breeding ground for terrorism. They
\nwonder whether this is also the case with Indonesian madrasah.<\/p>\n
Indonesian madrasah differ in several respects from the ones
\nin Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Basically, here madrasah
\ntrain students to live according to the commands and prohibitions
\nof Islam. Here, Islam is taught as a way of life. These are the
\nmadrasah that according to Bassam Tibi, the renowned professor of
\nreligious studies, belong to the "cultural Islam" camp.<\/p>\n
But in some madrasah students are meticulously prepared to
\nbelieve that there is just no human justice possible in a country
\nthat is so heavily influenced by Western culture dominated by
\nChristians and Jews; and that in this country justice will arrive
\nonly if the people return to the pure teachings of Islam and
\nreinstate the governance practices of Prophet Muhammad. These are
\nthe madrasah that consider themselves as parts of, using again
\nthe above professor's terminology, "political Islam."<\/p>\n
Cultural Islam madrasah generally employ a relatively liberal
\neducational agenda. This can be witnessed in the schools run by
\nthe Ministry of Religious Affairs, and by private madrasah led or
\nsupervised by tolerant Islamic leaders.<\/p>\n
Political Islam madrasah, on the other hand, have opted to
\ncarry out a more radical educational agenda. This is usually
\nimplemented in private madrasah, led by Islamic clerics with
\nradical leanings.<\/p>\n
According to the Ministry, Indonesia has 37,362 madrasah, of
\nwhich only 3,226 (8.63 percent) are run by the state, while the
\nremaining 34,136 (91.34 percent) are run and controlled by
\nprivate organizations. This is a rather unfortunate situation for
\nthe country, the reason being that private madrasah are more
\ndifficult to regulate than state-run ones.<\/p>\n
The educational agenda adopted by a madrasah will determine
\nwhether its students will say "yes", "maybe", or "no" to calls to
\njoin fundamentalist movements.<\/p>\n
The philosophy followed by madrasah in general is that life in
\nthe hereafter is much more important than life in this profane
\nworld. Religious education is thus most important, whereas
\neducation on the physical world and nature's laws is considered
\nof little value or no value at all.<\/p>\n
Many students therefore become ill equipped to take an active
\npart in the modern sector of the country's economy. They are very
\ndisadvantaged when they have to compete against graduates of non-
\nreligious schools.<\/p>\n
Attempts have been made to introduce science education into
\nthe madrasah, a decision driven by two reasons.<\/p>\n
First, it is believed that science education will create a
\nmore balanced view of life among students. Second, it is also
\nbelieved that through science education young Indonesian Muslims
\nwill become familiar with the facts and basic tenets of science
\nand technology, a culture that is so important in this new
\ncentury. No Indonesian Muslim should therefore be allowed to
\nbecome scientifically and technologically illiterate.<\/p>\n
This effort, however, has only been partially successful in
\ncultural Islam madrasah run by the state and by private madrasah
\nunder the leadership of liberal-minded clerics. In political
\nIslam madrasah run by orthodox clerics, this effort has met with
\nstrong resistance. Their argument is that science education will
\nreduce the students' faith, their iman; their belief in Allah,
\nand in all the divine rules concerning life.<\/p>\n
Such madrasah are therefore a place where students' minds are
\nshaped for an unbalanced way of life. It is a place where
\nbelieving is considered much more important than knowing. It is a
\nplace where indoctrination is carefully honed and critical
\nthinking is neglected. The final result is that such Indonesian
\nmadrasah have inadvertently become a breeding ground for
\nreligious conservatism and fanaticism, in addition to scientific
\nilliterates.<\/p>\n
Then, for those students, the leap to fundamentalism is but a
\nsmall step. But generally speaking, two extra factors are needed
\nto make fundamentalists and terrorists out of these people. These
\nare, economic hardship and the feeling of being politically
\nsuppressed. And these are the very things that have been
\nmanipulated by fundamentally extremist clerics.<\/p>\n
There are two other reasons why this effort has only been
\npartially successful. First, there is a scarcity of teachers in
\n"modern" subjects such as English, mathematics and natural
\nsciences within the madrasah.<\/p>\n
At the high school level (aliyah), there were 661,104 students
\nthroughout the country during the academic year of 2001 to 2002,
\nserved by 831 English teachers, 852 math teachers, 731 physics
\nteachers, 425 chemistry teachers, and 480 biology teachers.<\/p>\n
This equates to a 795 to 1 student\/teacher ration English;
\n776:1 in mathematics; 914:1 in physics; 1,555:1 in chemistry; and
\n1,377:1 in biology. So, given these poor ratios, how can students
\nrealistically receive decent instruction in those subjects, let
\nalone a balanced view of the demands of life in this world and
\nthose of life in the hereafter?<\/p>\n
The second reason is the failure among political Islam
\nmadrasah to mention "Indonesia" in their teachings about Islam.
\nIt is "Islamic education" they talk about, and not "Islamic
\neducation in Indonesia." It is tarikh, i.e. the history of Islam,
\nthey are teaching, without adding that the spread of Islam in
\nIndonesia has its own unique history.<\/p>\n
Students thus overlook Indonesia and Indonesian nationalism as
\na real cultural and political context in their deliberations
\nabout how to implement the teachings of Islam in their daily
\nlives. Defending Islam in global terms is a challenge that these
\nstudents understand very well. But defending Islam without
\nsacrificing the interest of the nation is difficult for them to
\ncomprehend.<\/p>\n
Whether the resulting unbalanced attitude towards life and
\nilliteracy or semi-literacy in science and technology leads to a
\nreactionary fundamentalism depends on the circumstances in their
\nrespective educational environments.<\/p>\n
This is a serious handicap for a country that is still
\nstruggling to revive its economy and regain respect from the
\ninternational community. It is a real obstacle for a country that
\nis still struggling to revive its almost forgotten democracy.
\nThis will make it very difficult for the country to shift from an
\neconomy based on agriculture and rather outdated industry to an
\ninformation economy that needs a strong army of knowledge workers
\nfamiliar with science and technology.<\/p>",
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