Dayah or pesantren represents the most genuine traditional education system in Indonesia that has persevered through time. Its survival isn’t merely coincidental; rather, it stems from unique sub-cultural elements that distinctly characterize Indonesia.
One of its standout qualities is its strong independence, free from external interventions. In many ways, it operates as a self-governing school, allowing leaders like Teungku to freely express their ideas in running all activities aimed at enhancing the students’ abilities.
To maintain this independence, dayah organizes various economic activities to meet financial needs. They also provide skill training to students, enabling them to be self-sufficient after their studies, without relying on external support, including the government. These skills range from basic trades to household industries, empowering them to generate income.
In preparing a civil society, dayah faces increasing educational challenges. The contribution of Islamic educational institutions is not just about crystallizing spirituality but also integrating with dynamic discourses.
Dayah aims to cultivate a society marked by openness, egalitarianism, cosmopolitanism, democracy, and broad knowledge—both in spiritual aspects and worldly knowledge. Consequently, there’s been serious attention to reevaluating Islamic educational institutions.
Addressing today’s educational reality, dayah is striving to modernize Islamic education. This effort seeks to discover an ideal educational format as an alternative education system for Indonesia’s future. Leveraging the strengths of past education becomes a framework for reconstructing educational concepts. Outdated educational systems are being left behind, not relevant to current times.
The integration of these educational institutions results in a comprehensive Islamic education system, emphasizing not only classical Islamic knowledge but also academic integrity.
These institutions, represented by dayah, aim not just to impart classical Arabic but also English language skills, essential for contemporary learning. Their curriculum blends classic learning traditions with Western styles in teaching and subjects.