Title : Transformative Islamic Education
Writer: Dr Mahmud Arif
Publisher: LKiS Yogyakarta
Edition I: Februari 2008
Thick: xiv + 310 pages
Reviewer: Abdul Halim Fathani
Education is an important thing that would always be talked about, examined, and debatable. The purpose of education is basically to develop human in the frame of carrying out mandate as representative of Allah on earth. Nowadays there have been many talking more about the format of education that is appropriate with the era of ours. More over we have most of the time found those attaining high education whose no good morality. Instead many attaining poor educational standards have good attitude. Then the raising question is that is there such a mistake dealing with the implemented model of education or the education itself can not respond to any human difficulties? Apart from all this we have actually realized about the importance of education in developing human personality.<>
In terms of the importance of education, Malik Fadjar (2004) tries to place the education within the frame of human investment. Malik says there are three big challenges facing education in Indonesia. First is defending the results having been obtained; second is anticipating globalization era;and the third is conducting changes and adapting national education system that supports the process of more democratic education; paying more attention to various necessities/circumstances of regions and students; and encouraging the increasing of people's participation.
It is a must that most people have expected the existence of Islamic educational institutions whose quality in any kinds and educational levels. Even education has now been such an urgent necessity especially for those middle-class Muslim circles. While educational institutions having rapidly developed and professionally been managed have most of them belonged to public educational ones whose no religious background.
According to Muhaimin (2006:237) there are three paradigms in developing Islamic education, namely Dycotomic Paradigm, Mechanism Paradigm, and Organism or Systemic Paradigm. In dycotomic paradigm, the aspect of life is viewed very simple. Islamic education tends to merely deal with ritual and spiritual matters while economic, political, cultural, social, and scientific aspects are considered as mere worldly matters. The dycotomic paradigm would lead to dualism in education system.
Mechanism paradigm views that the life consists of many aspects and education is considerably to implant and develop a set of values of life leading to their own rhythm. While organism paradigm suggests that educational activity constitutes a system consisting of components that can work together to reach certain purpose, namely the realization of religious life inspired by religious values and tenets.
The book's writer says so far studies on thoughts and Islamic education have “idealistically” viewed the golden era of Islam. AS for him, culture and and tradition of Islamic thoughts in the golden era were such final reference. It is taboo to review and should be blindly (taklidiyah) followed. So it is not so strange if some standard literatures on Islamic studies have tended to elaborate the excellence of tradition of thought and Islamic education in the golden age of Islam without being followed with critical analysis to emerging weaknesses.
Writer: Dr Mahmud Arif
Publisher: LKiS Yogyakarta
Edition I: Februari 2008
Thick: xiv + 310 pages
Reviewer: Abdul Halim Fathani
Education is an important thing that would always be talked about, examined, and debatable. The purpose of education is basically to develop human in the frame of carrying out mandate as representative of Allah on earth. Nowadays there have been many talking more about the format of education that is appropriate with the era of ours. More over we have most of the time found those attaining high education whose no good morality. Instead many attaining poor educational standards have good attitude. Then the raising question is that is there such a mistake dealing with the implemented model of education or the education itself can not respond to any human difficulties? Apart from all this we have actually realized about the importance of education in developing human personality.<>
In terms of the importance of education, Malik Fadjar (2004) tries to place the education within the frame of human investment. Malik says there are three big challenges facing education in Indonesia. First is defending the results having been obtained; second is anticipating globalization era;and the third is conducting changes and adapting national education system that supports the process of more democratic education; paying more attention to various necessities/circumstances of regions and students; and encouraging the increasing of people's participation.
It is a must that most people have expected the existence of Islamic educational institutions whose quality in any kinds and educational levels. Even education has now been such an urgent necessity especially for those middle-class Muslim circles. While educational institutions having rapidly developed and professionally been managed have most of them belonged to public educational ones whose no religious background.
According to Muhaimin (2006:237) there are three paradigms in developing Islamic education, namely Dycotomic Paradigm, Mechanism Paradigm, and Organism or Systemic Paradigm. In dycotomic paradigm, the aspect of life is viewed very simple. Islamic education tends to merely deal with ritual and spiritual matters while economic, political, cultural, social, and scientific aspects are considered as mere worldly matters. The dycotomic paradigm would lead to dualism in education system.
Mechanism paradigm views that the life consists of many aspects and education is considerably to implant and develop a set of values of life leading to their own rhythm. While organism paradigm suggests that educational activity constitutes a system consisting of components that can work together to reach certain purpose, namely the realization of religious life inspired by religious values and tenets.
The book's writer says so far studies on thoughts and Islamic education have “idealistically” viewed the golden era of Islam. AS for him, culture and and tradition of Islamic thoughts in the golden era were such final reference. It is taboo to review and should be blindly (taklidiyah) followed. So it is not so strange if some standard literatures on Islamic studies have tended to elaborate the excellence of tradition of thought and Islamic education in the golden age of Islam without being followed with critical analysis to emerging weaknesses.
