Central Java Provincial Government Holds Bandongan Study to Mark Santri Day

Semarang (ANTARA) – Dozens of civil servants working for the Central Java Provincial Government, academics and community organisation activists took part in a bandongan study of the book Adabul ’Alim wal Muta’allim to open the 2026 Santri Day commemorations.

The study of the work by Islamic scholar KH Muhammad Hasyim Asy’ari was held at Wisma Perdamaian in Semarang on Monday. It was led by KH Ubaidullah Shodaqoh, head of Al Itqon Islamic boarding school in Semarang.

Bandongan is a traditional study format centred on a teacher, who reads a book, translates or interprets it, and then explains its contents to the students.

Central Java Deputy Governor Taj Yasin Maimoen said bandongan study was a pesantren tradition attended not only by students of Islamic boarding schools but also open to the general public.

He said Adabul ’Alim wal Muta’allim was relevant to study amid the various social problems facing communities. Lessons on manners and ethics, he said, deserved collective attention, both in relationships between students and teachers and in social life more broadly.

He said strengthening these values was expected to contribute to building the character of the younger generation.

The provincial government hopes the study can continue at a mosque owned by the Central Java administration, involving mosque administrators and other relevant parties.

“The 110-page Adabul ’Alim wal Muta’allim cannot possibly be completed in a single day. Knowledge must therefore be pursued continuously,” he said.

The Central Java Provincial Government plans to hold a week-long programme from 15 to 22 October 2026, with several events expected to take place in Tegal and Pemalang regencies.