NU chairman: Islamic schools tend to improve

Jakarta, NU Online
Islamic educational institutions such as pesantren (Islamic boarding school) madrassa and many other religious schools have tended to improve in the last ten years though there have been obstacles that should soon be handled.

"Madrassas have now integrated with national education system. In turn the students of madrassa are as equal as general schools," Chairman of the Central Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) Masykuri Abdillah told NU Online Thursday (13/3).<>

At present, the materials taught in Islamic senior high (MA) or junior high (MTs) schools are the same as taught in general ones by providing more special religious materials. The students have also taken national examination enable them to continue studying at universities.

While religious schools (madrasah diniyah) having so far taught religious subjects such as Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), Al Qur'an, Al-Hadits, Arabic, and so forth can take A, B, or C package programs if they introduce subjects, namely Social Sciences, Math, Indonesian Language, and Civic Education.

The former vice rector of the Jakarta's Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University said that the government had also expected the religious schools to take part in supporting what called as Nine-year Compulsory Education Program.

The obstacles facing the Islamic schools, Masykuri added, were quality of teachers, infrastructures and unproportional budget, compared with general schools. (mkf)