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ISLAMIC EDUCATION POLICY THROUGH CULTURAL

ASPECTS
Malik Akbar Simanullang1
Aminah Hanum2

1
Faculty of Islamic Studies, University of Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara, Indonesia

(Email: akbarmalik8280@gmail.com )
2
Faculty of Islamic Studies, University of Muhammadiyah Sumatera Utara, Indonesia

(Email: aminahhanum5@gmail.com )

Abstract: Education is essentially an effort to pass on values, which will help and determine
humanity in living life, and at the same time to improve the fate and civilization of mankind.
Without education, today''s humans are no different from past generations of humans, who,
compared to today''s humans, have been left behind in both the quality of life and the processes
of empowerment. The method used in this research is descriptive methodqualitative. The data
collection techniques in this research are literature study, interview and observation.In its
development, Islam has been embraced as an ethnic group. This success is closely related to the
empowerment of Islamic education in the past, especially in relation to cultural aspects. Kurshid
Ahmad stated that education is largely determined by the culture that underlies it. In making a
policy two things must be considered, firstly the prevailing value system, secondly situational
factors. National policies should be devoted to their interests for the welfare of the people in all
fields including education affairs, the majority of Indonesian people Muslims really dream of a
superior quality of Islamic education and entry into the national education system.

Keywords : Policy, Islamic Education, Culture

Introduction empowerment. In an extreme way, it

Education is essentially an effort
to pass on values, which will help and
determine humanity in living life, and at
the same time to improve the fate and
civilization of mankind. Without
education, today's humans are no
different from past generations of
humans, who, compared to today's
humans, have been left behind in both
the quality of life and the processes of
can be said that the progress or failure
of the civilization of a society, a nation,
will be determined by how the
education undertaken by the people of
that nation is.
The word policy is a derivative
form of the word wise which has the
prefix to and the suffix an. In the KBBI
(Complete Indonesian Dictionary), the
word wise has the meaning of always
using one's mind, proficient, clever and
 good at conversing. In English, policy is
defined as a policy which means a plan
of action (a plan of action) or a statement
of aims (a directed statement). What is
meant by policy is a statement of ideals,
goals, principles, or intentions as a
guideline to achieve goals, guidelines.
Understanding education policy
as quoted by Ali Imran from Carter V.
Good that education policy is a
consideration based on a value system
and several assessments of situational
factors. These considerations are used as
the basis for operating institutionalized
education and are general plans that serve
as guidelines for making decisions so that
institutional goals can be achieved.
Education is very important,
because usually the quality of human
intelligence is seen from how much a
person is willing to receive education.
Not only that with education, humans can
also achieve the fulfillment of their needs
by working. It's not a special thing
anymore if many people are competing to
get the highest education.
Research Methods
The method used in this research is
descriptive methodqualitative. Descriptive
research is a research that aims to describe
education policy in Indonesia. Whereas the
source is taken from several scientific books
published with the intention of being a
reference source. The data collection
techniques in this research are literature
study, interview and observation.
Results And Discussion
In its development, Islam has been
embraced as an ethnic group. This success is
closely related to the empowerment of
Islamic education in the past, especially in
relation to cultural aspects. Kurshid Ahmad
stated that education is largely determined
by the culture that underlies it.
1. Education policy
Etymologically, policy is a
translation of the word policy in English.
The education policy is a translation of
educational policy which is a combination
of Education and Policy. Policy means
rules that should and must be followed
indiscriminately, binding on whoever is
intended to be bound by the policy.
Policy (policy) is often equated with
terms such as politics, programs,
decisions, laws, rules, provisions,
agreements, conventions, and strategic
plans.
Actually, with the same definition
among policy makers, policy experts, and
the public who know about it, it will not be
a rigid problem. However, to make it
clearer for everyone who will be related to
policy, it would be better if the definition
of policy should be understood.
The following is a policy definition.
United Nations (1975):
A declaration regarding a basic guideline
for action, a certain direction of action, a
program regarding certain activities or a
plan (Wahab, 1990).
James E. Anderson (1978):
behavior of a number of actors
(officials, groups, government
agencies) or a series of actors in a
particular field of activity (Wahab,
1990).
Prof. Heinz Eulau and Kenneth
Prewitt:
a standing decision characterized by
behavioral consistency and
repetitiveness on the part of both
those who make it and those who
abide by it (Jones, 1997).
 The definition of education policy as
it is can be seen through the following
statements. “Carter V. Good (1959) (Imron,
2002:18)
stated, Educational policy is judgment,
derived from some system of values and
some assessment of situational factors,
operating within institutionalized adecation
as a general plan for guiding decision
regarding means of attaining desired
educational objectives.”
The meaning of the statement above is
that education policy is an assessment of the
value system and situational needs factors,
which are operated in an institution as a
general plan for guidance in making
decisions, so that the desired educational
goals can be achieved.
It can be concluded that education
policy is a product that is used as a guide
for legal-neutral educational decision-
making and is adapted to the educational
environment in a moderate manner.
Education policy has special
characteristics, namely:
a. Have educational goals
Education policy must have a goal, but
more specifically, that it should own
educational goals that clear and
directed to provide contributionon
education.
b. Meet the legal-formal aspects
Education policy will of course be
enforced, it is necessary to fulfill on the
prerequisites that must be fulfilledso
that the education policy is recognized
and legally applies to a region. Thus,
education policies must meet
constitutional requirements in
accordance with the constitutional
hierarchy that applies in a region so
that it can be declared valid and
officially valid in that region. Thus, a
legitimate educational policy can be
raised.
c. Have an operational concept
Education policy as a guide
charactergeneral, of course, must
have operational benefits in order to be
implemented and this is a must for
clarify achievement of educational
goals to be achieved. Especially needs
education policy is a decision-making
support function.
d. Made by the authorities
Education policies must be made by
experts in their fields who have the
authority to do so, so that they do not
cause damage to students
educationand the environment outside
of education. Education
administrators, administrators of
educational institutions and politicians
who are directly related to education
are minimal elements of education
policy makers.
e. Can be evaluated
The education policy, of course, does
not escape the real situation to be
followed up. If it is good, then it is
maintained or developed, while if it
contains errors, it must be corrected.
Thus, educational policies that have
character can allow for an easy and
effective evaluation of them.
f. Have systematic
Education policy is of course a system
anyway, therefore it must have a clear
systematic regarding all aspects that it
wants to regulate. Systematics are also
required to have effectiveness,
efficiency and high sustainability so
that education policy is not pragmatic,
discriminatory and its structure is
fragile due to a series of missing
factors or colliding with each other.
This must be considered carefully so
that its implementation will not cause
internal legal defects. Then, externally,
education policy must be integrated
with other policies; political policy;
 monetary policy; even education policy Muslims and citizens as members
above it or beside and below it. and community coaches with
competitive quality.
2. Islamic education
From an etymological point of view, Islamic Education Policy in the
the notion of Islamic education is Archipelago during the New Order
represented by the terms taklim, and
tarbiyah which are derived from the basic
In 1967 the Minister of Religion
words allama and rabba as used in the
issued a policy to sterilize a number of
Qur'an, even though in the connotation of
madrasas at all levels from Ibtidaiyah to
the word tarbiyah more because it contains
Aliyah levels. A number of madrasas
the meaning of maintaining, raising and
became state with details, 358 State
educating as well as containing the meaning
Islamic Madrasah (MIN), 182 State
teach (allama).
Islamic Madrasah (MTsN) and 42 State
In its implementation, the basis of
Islamic Religious Madrasah (MAAIN).
Islamic education in Indonesia is the Qur'an
By granting state status, management
and Sunnah (written law), unwritten law
responsibility falls on the government,
and the results of human thought about
but regulation and control over the
these laws, such as Pancasila, the 1945
madrasas becomes more effective.
Constitution and the provisions for its
implementation. And in the next two years this
Islamic education has the following Presidential Decree was confirmed by
functions Presidential Instruction No. 15 of 1974
a. Individualization of Islamic values which regulates its realization. Both of
and teachings for the sake of forming these policies caused reactions from
the degree of human muttaqin in Muslims. Among them is the Working
behaving, thinking and behaving. Meeting of the Religious Education
b. Socialization of Islamic values and and Teaching Advisory Council
teachings for the formation of (MP3A). This institution ensures that
Muslims, madrasas are educational institutions
c. Engineering Islamic culture for the that make a significant contribution to
formation and development of national development. Referring to the
Islamic civilization madrasah, MP3A emphasized that “the
d. Find and develop and maintain most appropriate person to be
knowledge, technology and skills for entrusted with this responsibility is the
the formation of managers and Ministry of Religion, because it is the
professional people. Minister of Religion who knows better
e. Muslim intellectual development about the intricacies of religious
capable of seeking, developing, and education, not the Minister of P&K or
maintaining science and technology. other ministers.
f. Continuous development of Taking into account these
education in the fields of economics, aspirations, the Indonesian
physics, chemistry, architecture, government, in this case the
music, arts and culture, politics, Indonesian Ministry of Religion,
sports, health, and so on. conducts continuous development of
g. Development of the quality of the quality of madrasa education. In
1975 a Joint Decree of the Three
Ministers was issued regarding
"Improving the quality of madrasa
education". And continued with the
President issuing Presidential
Instructions No. 34 of 1972 and
Presidential Instruction No. 15 of 1974
which contains:
a. The development of general
education is the responsibility of
the Minister of Education and
Culture, while the responsibility of
religious education is the
responsibility of the Minister of
Religion.
b. For the implementation of
Presidential Decree No. 34 of 1972
and Presidential Instruction No. 15
of 1974 as well as possible there
needs to be cooperation between
the Ministry of P&K, the Ministry
of Home Affairs and the Ministry
of Religion
The position of this madrasa
was reaffirmed in UUSPN No. 2 of
1989, chapter IV article 11, paragraph
6 concerning religious education,
which is then described in a
government regulation or ministerial
decree, that MI, MTs, and MA
respectively include SD, SLTP, SMU
which are characterized by the Islamic
religion and are organized by the
Ministry of Education and Culture.
Religion. The responsibility for the
management of madrasas is delegated
by the Minister of Education to the
Minister of Religion, and students
have the right to receive religious
education according to their religion.
If in one class in a school there are at
least 10 (ten) students who embrace a
certain religion, the religious education
of the student concerned must be given
in that class, while for students who do
not embrace a religion who is being
taught during religious lessons in class
it was given freedom. The curriculum
and study materials provided at the
madrasa are at least the same as the
school, in addition to other study
materials provided at the madrasa.
With the issuance of these
implementation guidelines, the tension
between religious education and
national education can indeed be
overcome. The implementation
instructions contain a fairly basic
difference with the Presidential Decree
and the Presidential Instruction. It was
emphasized that the rights and
responsibilities of managing religious
education remained with the Ministry
of Religion. The implementation
instructions contain a fairly basic
difference with the Presidential Decree
and the Presidential Instruction. It was
emphasized that the rights and
responsibilities of managing religious
education remained with the Ministry
of Religion. The implementation
instructions contain a fairly basic
difference with the Presidential Decree
and the Presidential Instruction. It was
emphasized that the rights and
responsibilities of managing religious
education remained with the Ministry
of Religion.
Islamic Education Policy in the
Archipelago during the Reformation
Period
In 1994, the curriculum policy
education religionplaced at all levels
of education, becoming a compulsory
subject from elementary to university.
At the elementary school level, there
are 9 subjects, including religious
education. In junior high school the
curriculum structure is also the same,
where religious education is included
in the general education program
group. Likewise at the high school
level, where religious education is
included in the general teaching
program group together with Pancasila
and Citizenship Education, Indonesian
Language and Literature, National
History and General History. English,
Physical Education and Health,
Mathematics, Natural Sciences
(Physics, Biology, Chemistry), Social
Studies (Economics, Sociology,
Geography) and Arts Education.
From the point of view of
religious education, Curriculum 1994,
just improvements and changes that do
not affect the number of hours of
lessons and the character of students'
religious education, as in previous
years. When the Suharto regime fell in
1998, education in Indonesia was still
using the 1989 Education Law, and the
1994 curriculum. The fall of the
Suharto regime launched the idea of
reform, one of whose agendas was
change and reform in the field of
education, as was the theme of
criticism from observers. education
and is expected by many.
Furthermore, in 2003 the National
Education System Law, hereinafter
referred to as the National Education
System Law, was enacted. 20 of 2003.
In the National Education System Law
no. 20 of 2003, the article that is being
debated with tension is article 12
which states that religious education is
the right of every student. "Every
student in every educational unit has
the right to receive religious education
in accordance with the religion he
adheres to and taught by education of
the same religion," (Article 12
paragraph a). In the explanation
section, it is also explained that
religious educators or teachers of the
same religion as students are
facilitated or provided by the
government or local governments in
accordance with the needs of the
education unit as regulated in Article
41 paragraph 3.
This law is also at the same time
"burying" part of Law no. 2/1989 and
Government Regulation, No. 29/1990,
regarding the non-obligation of
schools with certain religious
backgrounds (eg Islam) to teach
students' religious education (eg
Catholic religious lessons for students
who are Catholic). The 2003 National
Education System Law requires
Islamic schools/foundations to teach
Catholic education to students who
follow the Catholic religion. National
Education System Law no. 20 of 2003
is the legal and constitutional basis for
n the implementation of religious
education in schools, both public and
private. Article 37 paragraph (1) states
that 'the curriculum for primary and
secondary education must include
religious education, citizenship
education, language, mathematics,
social sciences, arts and culture,
physical education and
education.sports, skills/vocational and
local content. In the explanation of
article 37 paragraph it is emphasized,
"religious education is intended to
shape students into human beings who
believe and fear God Almighty and
have noble character". The
implementation of religious education
in public schools is also regulated in
the law, both relating to public
facilities and educational
infrastructure, costs education, energy
teacher, curriculum and other
educational components.
The journey of Indonesia's
 education policy has not ended, in
2004 the government established a
Competency-Based Curriculum
(KBK). The presence of a word comes from the Inda Chasti
competency-based curriculum initially
raised hopes that it would provide
benefits for students because it was
considered a refinement of the Active
Student Learning Method (CBSA).
However, from a mental point of view
as well as the capacity of teachers, it
seems that it is very difficult to meet
these demands. The government was
also very overwhelmed conceptually,
when the government insisted on the
implementation of the National
Examination, so that the KBK was
immediately replaced and refined with
the Education Unit Level Curriculum
(KTSP).
The Ministry of Religion of the
Republic of Indonesia in 2010-2014
set 5 policies, namely:
a. improving the quality of
religious life
b. improving the quality of
religious harmony;
c. improving the quality of
raudhatul athfal, madrasas,
religious colleges, religious
education, and religious
education;
d. improving the quality of the
implementation of the
pilgrimage, and;
e. embodiment of clean and
authoritative governance.
Islamic Boarding School in the
Middle of the National Education
Maelstrom
The word pesantren comes from
the word santri by getting a pe- prefix
and an -suffix. The word implies a
dormitory where students live or where
students study the Koran and so on. The
term santri comes from the Tamil
language which means teacher of the
Koran. Another source states that the
language from the root word Shastra
which means sacred books, religious
books or books on science.
The word pesantren is often used in
everyday language with the addition of the
word "pondok" to become "pondok
pesantren". In terms of language, there is no
fundamental difference between the word
pondok and pesantren, because the word
pondok is derived from the Arabic funduq,
which means hotel and boarding school. In
the understanding of the Indonesian people,
it can be interpreted as a place where Islamic
religious education takes place which has
been institutionalized since ancient times. So
in essence, Islamic boarding schools are
Islamic religious educational institutions.
In the book whichentitled
Guidelines for the Development of Islamic
Boarding Schools issued by the Ministry of
Education and Culture Religion page 9
define boarding school as:
"Islamic education and teaching
institutions, which are generally education
and teaching are given in a non-classical
way where a kyai teaches students based on
books written in Arabic by great scholars
since the Middle Ages, while the students
usually live in the hut in the pesantren."
Meanwhile, Muki Ali in his paper
which entitled dynamismi and the nature of
Islamic boarding schools presented at the
workshop on the intensification of the
development of Islamic boarding schools
identified that Islamic boarding schools have
characteristics of kyai who teach and
educate. Santri who learn from the kyai, the
mosque is a place to organize education,
congregational prayers and so on, the hut
where the students live.
In law no. 20 of 2003 concerning the
National Education System is stipulated,
national education functions to develop strategies and tactics even demand reform
capabilities and shape the character and of models and institutions so that they are
civilization of a dignified nation in the more effective and efficient. in a
context of educating the nation's life, aiming pedagogical, sociological and cultural
at developing the potential of students to sense in showing its role [HM Arifin,
become human beings of faith who are 1991:3].
devoted to God Almighty, have noble
character, are healthy. , knowledgeable, Conclusion
capable, creative, independent, and become
1. Islamic education is part of national
a democratic and responsible citizen.
education, so Islamic education policies
The above provisions place
are very dependent on national
religious education in a very strategic
education policies so that Islamic
position in an effort to achieve the expected
education experts should participate in
national education goals. Islamic boarding
the education policy-making process.
schools are part of religious education
2. In making a policy two things must be
which historically have been able to prove
considered, firstly the prevailing value
concretely in forming Indonesian people
system, secondly situational factors.
who believe and are devoted to God
3. National policies should be devoted to
Almighty. Thus, philosophically as well as
their interests for the welfare of the
historically and juridically, Islamic
people in all fields including education
boarding schools are also firmly included in
affairs, the majority of Indonesian
the provisions contained in the Law on the
people Muslims really dream of a
National Education System.
superior quality of Islamic education
The reality of Islamic education in
and entry into the national education
general is admittedly experiencing setbacks
system.
and backwardness, although lately it has
gradually begun to feel progress. This is
evidenced by the establishment of Islamic References
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thus demanding the innovation of Islamic Gema Insani Press, 1995.
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mastering systems and methods, language
as a tool to enrich perceptions, and
sharpness of interpretation [insight], and
weaknesses in terms of institutions
[organization], science and technology. and
technology. Therefore, Islamic education is
urged to innovate not only in terms of
curriculum and management tools, but also
operational strategies and tactics. These