Lessons From American Islamic Schools

Rohmat Mulyana
State Islamic University – Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung

Learning religion through formalized education like schools is always interesting to discuss. Many regard that school are very strategic place to introduce religious values to students, but others look schools have no responsibility at all for transferring religious values since students learn with their teachers. Both standpoints virtually emerge from two strongly different philosophical roots. When the people advocate the role of schools for enhancing religious spirituality of students, they perhaps hold the path of perennialism view as their way of thinking.

On the contrary, the people who agree with withdrawing religious education from school involvement supposed they follow the path of liberalism philosophy. The two philosophical roots are quite distinct and opposite each other, and then it can bring about two kinds of school policies concerning the consideration of religious education in curriculum. In perennialism view, a school must accommodate religious curriculum as integral part of school curriculum, but in liberalism there is no such an obligation for a school to take account religious education into curriculum.

When education formalized, it means that government has authority to take control over school curriculum. The authority of government toward schools, of course, appears in different levels of involvement depending on internal policy of a country and more importantly depend on its ideology. For the reason, it can be said that the existence of schools can not be partially considered as form of educational system wholly separated from an ideal of majority people of the country. In Indonesia, for example, where religious belief is acknowledged as the first pillar of Pancasila (a nation ideology), religious teaching has become important subject matter taught in schools. The government tends to control curriculum development for the subject matter, although in some cases, the authority of schools to develop creative learning has been extended much larger then before.

The role of Indonesia government on religious education in school differs from what US. government does. In US, religion has been strongly recognized as one of central elements of nation identity, but religious properties is quite personal and no responsibility for government to interference it. Schools in US, therefore, do not teach religion except in private schools initiated on behalf of certain community of religion. Public schools are isolated from formal learning of religion and the government has no obligation to determine religious curriculum for school. Even though, religious tolerance and respect for those who hold different belief become a common social recognition.

Comparing the position of government as cited above, it is easy to understand that ideology of a country makes up a primary cause of difference role of government upon religious existence in formalized education. But it does not means that religious education, particularly for Islamic education in the two countries, will be meaningless to analyze. American Islamic schools that have been founded by Muslim as minority in US look interesting to compare with the relief of madrasahs that have been initiated by Muslim as majority in Indonesia. As center of Muslim education, American Islamic Schools and Indonesian madrasahs are supposed to be similar as well as different.

The analysis is based on research findings in two Islamic Schools (al-Noor School and al-Ihsan Academy) that is located around New York City. According to the findings, the following lessons can be imply for improving quality of madrasahs in Indonesia, particularly for promoting social values in religious education.

Firstly, a curriculum of multi-faith that promotes both similarities and differences of the world’s religion need to be introduced to madrasah in order students have strong religious tolerance. Through the curriculum students can be guided to know why the people in all over the world vary in their belief and how the students should have correct attitude and behavior toward the differences. Practically, the efforts toward the curriculum must firstly be facilitated and accommodated in macro educational policy that states the important of multi-faith education in madrasah curriculum. Second, the curriculum of multi-faith education has to be prepared by a qualified team recruited from different religious experts or theologicians. Third, an implementation is needed after completing the first two steps by piloting project toward a number of madrasahs and then gradually the curriculum is implemented in many madrasahs in Indonesia. For holding on the teaching learning process, government of Indonesia can recruit some prospective teachers from Islamic university graduates, particularly the graduates of religious comparative study. Such effort is important to carry out at madrasahs because promoting cultural and religious differences at American Islamic schools (al-Noor Schools and al-Ihsan Academy) has become one of significant factors influencing positive attitude of students toward diversity of religion.

Secondly, some multicultural aspects of nation have to be expanded in curriculum of social studies for madrasahs. What occurs today, social studies for madrasah tends to explore more conceptual and theoretical matter than experiential. Therefore, comprehensive multicultural aspects should be incorporated in social studies by promoting a broad range of experiences within the study of any group. The curriculum should include present culture, historical experiences, sociopolitical realities, contributions to the nation's development, problems faced in everyday living, and conditions of existence in society. Through such curriculum, students of madrasah can be guided to the experiences of persons from widely varying backgrounds. Although the study of heroes and success stories of famous people can help students of an ethnic group develop pride in their own group, the curriculum social studies for madrasah should include study of ethnic peoples in general. For this reason, optimum study of ethnic and cultural group experiences must be interwoven into the total curriculum. It should not be reserved for special occasions, units, or courses of social studies for madrasah nor should it be considered supplementary to the existing curriculum. Such multicultural observances above is regularly applied in social studies of American Islamic Schools (al-Noor School and al-Ihsan Academy) that in turns makes students have more broadly perspective in looking differences.

Thirdly, narrative approaches for learning social values need to be extended through Islamic studies in madrasah. By applying such approach many stories that provide rich inner construct of value in Islamic teachings and socio-religious issues can be taken the advantages by teachers of Islamic studies. The story of holy prophet, wise people, successful person, and brilliant leader can be organized for teaching materials but in addition telling story about something unexpected as life failure, social conflict, discrimination, prejudice, and natural disaster also important for enhancing critical analysis of student. For creative and broad-minded teachers, therefore, some inner constructs of moral and value learning will be very precious alternative for their classroom interaction and for creating novel insight of learning Islamic studies. The process of learning Islamic studies by constructing both positive and negative story of a social event and relate it to the stage of one’s religious consciousness will emerge problem solving skill from students’ perspective. According to the research at al-Noor School and al-Ihsan Academy, the story telling is one of powerful teaching-learning approach commonly used by teachers of Islamic studies in both school. Statistically, the approach has significant correlation toward tolerance attitude ( r = .222, p < .01) and respect for the school rule ( r = .215, p < .01). It means that the more often the teachers tell story about social and multicultural issues the higher the students’ tolerance and their respect for the school rules.

Fourthly, internet program for supporting Islamic studies needs to be applied in madrasahs. Through high technology, students will be able to extent their physical and intellectual ability. They will know how to operate computer device and use it for not only typing assignment but also for searching information. In American Islamic Schools, particularly at al-Noor School and al-Ihsan Academy, internet-based program for Islamic studies has become one of the excellences of the schools’ program. Home works are always sent by internet and some contents of Islamic studies are available in a web site of the schools. For this reason, the next madrasahs’ program in Islamic studies should take the advantages of cyber technology of internet. In every madrasah, at least twenty unit computers that directly connected to internet website should be available. Through the computer program, the students can be guided to explore much intellectual landscapes from any web site. Even the staff of madrasah can create madrasah’s web site or blog spot to provide information about any school’s program that is completed by some related links for learning Islamic studies. In more specific idea, the staff of madrasah needs to provide creative Islamic studies material and method as what has been developed in a web site of al-Noor School as well as al-Ihsan Academy.

Beside the four lessons above, perhaps there are still many general aspects of American Islamic Schools that can be adopted for improving quality of madrasah in Indonesia. The aspects of American Islamic Schools such as financial management, school leadership, and ability of teachers are supposed to be higher quality than those of what madrasahs have. But unfortunately, all the aspects were not being the focus of the research.

We hope our government, particularly Ministry of Religious affairs (MORA) and Ministry of National Education (MONE) will be more serious in giving much attention on the need for development of social values. Next we hope madrasahs will be centers of excellent for developing Islamic studies, applying modern facilities, and enhancing students’ tolerance. Therefore, what have to take in action by government concerns with taking advantage of four lesson above and put them on a decision of formal curriculum of value education for madrasahs.**