Ministry Of Religion Reveals Number Of Islamic Boarding Schools So 11 Thousand Since The Islamic Boarding School Law Was Ratified

The Rahmatan Lil Alamin Mosque in the Al Zaytun Islamic Boarding School area in Indramayu, West Java, Tuesday, July 4, 2023. (ANTARA PHOTO-Dedhez A)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) said that the number of Islamic boarding schools in Indonesia has increased by around 11 thousand since Law (UU) Number 18 of 2019 concerning Islamic Boarding Schools was passed. "There has been an increase of approximately 11 thousand Islamic boarding schools from 2019 until now," said Director of Education Diniyah and Islamic Boarding School of the Ministry of Religion, Basnang Said in a Meeting with Opinions (RDP) of Commission VIII DPR RI at the Parliament Complex, Jakarta, Thursday, August 29, which was confiscated by Antara. According to Basnang, the existence of the Islamic Boarding School Law has succeeded in motivating the public to establish Islamic boarding schools. "To this day, the number of Islamic boarding schools recorded in the Ministry of Religion is 41,220. It is an extraordinary leap because in the beginning it was passed by the Islamic Boarding School Law, the number of pesantren was only around 29 thousand, but once ratified by the Islamic Boarding School Law, public interest in establishing pesantren was extraordinary," he said. In this regard, Basnang also expressed his appreciation to Commission VIII of the DPR for initiating the existence of the Islamic Boarding School Law in 2019. "From the bottom of our hearts, we express our infinite gratitude to Commission VIII of the DPR RI who has really made history and an important note for the journey of pesantren because in 2019 it was initiated by Commission VIII, giving something monumental with the passing of the law which was later referred to as Law Number 18 of 2019," he said.

It is known, the existence of the Islamic Boarding School Law presents a number of conveniences in the establishment of Islamic boarding schools. Among other things, Article 6 of the Islamic Boarding School Law states that Islamic boarding schools are founded by individuals, foundations, Islamic community organizations, and/or the community. Then, it is also regulated in Article 7 of the Islamic Boarding School Law regarding obligations owned by the founders of Islamic boarding schools. This obligation includes Islamic boarding school founders who are obliged to commit to implement the value of "Islam rahmatan lil'alamin" and based on Pancasila, the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia (UUD NRI), the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI), and Bhinneka Tunggal Ika. Second, Islamic boarding school founders are also required to fulfill the existence of Islamic boarding school elements, namely kiai, santri who live in Islamic boarding schools, boarding schools or dormitories, mosques or prayer rooms, and a study of the Yellow Book or Dirasah Islamiah with the educational pattern "Mualimin", namely education is integrative by combining Islamic knowledge and general knowledge and is comprehensive by combining intra, extra, and kokcurricule. Furthermore, Islamic boarding school founders are also required to notify the existence of Islamic boarding schools to the village head or other designations in accordance with the domicile of Islamic boarding schools and register the existence of Islamic boarding schools with the Minister of Religion.