Today's Memory, November 6, 20213: Slogan Madrasahs Are Better Off Launching For The Improvement Of Islamic-Based Education Quality

Madrasah Tsanawiyah Modern Al Azhary students in Ajibarang, Banyumas Regency, Central Java held a flag ceremony. (Mts Al Azhary)

JAKARTA Memories of today, 10 years ago, November 6, 2013, Minister of Religion (Menag) Suryadharma Ali sparked a Better Madrasah slogan. The slogan appears as a form of optimism for Islamic education at the elementary, junior high, high school level can compete with other formal education.

Previously, the image of madrasa was considered outdated. Unprofessional management is the estuary. The problem affects many things. From inadequate financial capacity to the lack of competence of teachers and students.

Madrasahs are considered an important instrument of Islamic education in Indonesia. Their presence had become a prima donna since the Dutch colonial era. Madrasahs were able to become a forum for balancing access to education for the natives.

The power made madrasas 'rahim' which gave birth to many Islamic intellectual figures. Madrasah is also a forum in producing Islamic fighters in the era of Indonesian independence. The narrative did not last long. Everything changed when Indonesia was independent.

Madrasahs are like anaktirikan by the government. Graduates of madrasas are considered to have no competitiveness. The narrative is because madrasa is outdated. Its poor management makes teaching staff unable to match the tastes of the times.

The bad image of madrasah is trying to be eliminated by the Minister of Religion during the reign of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), Suryadharma Ali. He is optimistic that Madrasahs will be able to keep up with the times.

Science-based schools of the Koran and Hadith must be able to compete with other formal schools. He also provided support by perpetuating various policies to help madrasas develop.

He has also appealed from governors to mayors in Indonesia to use the APBD to help madrasas develop. This is because the development of madrasas is not only the responsibility of one institution.

"Madrasah as an educational institution whose scientific basis is Al Quran and Hadith must be able to show the best education and have advantages. Science continues to develop, there is no stopping for technological developments, so if madrasah is silent on the spot, madrasa will be run over by the times," said Suryadharma Ali as quoted on the Ministry of Religion website, August 26, 2013.

The Minister of Religion's commitment, Suryadharma Ali, to build a madrasas is not just an empty message. He continues to voice so that madrasas can continue to grow and always follow the times. A series of madrasa problems, from financial matters to inadequate teaching staff, try to find a way out.

As a form of seriousness, Suryadharma Ali then sparked a Better Madrasah slogan on November 6, 2013. The slogan was perpetuated to restore the glory of madrasas. Also so that madrasas can compete with existing formal schools.

The better madrasah is a slogan sparked by the Minister of Religion, Suryadharma Ali. The slogan was echoed when he gave a briefing at the Gathering and Teacher Guidance event RA, MI, MTs and MA and Madrasah Diniyah at the IPHI Building, Lamongan, East Java on Wednesday, November 6, 2013. The slogan is simple, simple and easy to remember. However, the echo is extraordinary for the image buildingmadrasah and its quality development.

Madrasah and the Ministry of Religion are indeed identical. Both complement each other. Like two inseparable coin eyes. Madrasahs give birth to important figures for the nation and country. Madrasahs also give birth to important figures of policyholders in the Ministry of Religion. Almost all Ministers of Religion are madrasa dropouts. Vice versa, on a long journey, the Ministry of Religion is a protector for madrasas. The Ministry of Religion is responsible for the growth and development of madrasas, "explained Abdullah Faqih and his friends in the book Suryadharma Ali (2014).