Antara/Indrianto Eko Suwarso

The appointment of Nadiem Makarim as the education and culture minister has sparked a variety of opinions regarding his capability to undertake educational reform, especially given his popularity as the founder of the successful ride-hailing start-up, Gojek.

Any attempt at educational reform in Indonesia should consider both the modernization and Islamization streams in the public sphere. Experts on Indonesian studies, such as Elisabeth Jakson and Lyn Parker, have warned that the local public sphere has always been a battleground between these two conflicting interests.

Management of the Indonesian education system is divided between the Religious Affairs Ministry and the Education and Culture Ministry. Nevertheless, religious instruction is compulsory at all schools, not only in religious schools but also in general education schools. Therefore, the Indonesian education system has always been religious to some extent.

Historically, religious education played a pivotal role in building a sense of identity among the Muslim community here. Many Muslim intellectuals during the colonial era possessed a high degree of resistance that was deemed dangerous to the political stability of the colonial government. Muslim intellectuals who had just returned from the haj to Mecca embraced a new spirit of resistance from their spiritual and intellectual journey.

By offering Western-style schooling, the Dutch colonial government aimed to control these intellectuals and to eradicate the impacts of religious education. Any attempt to modernize Indonesia’s education system should consider the historical aspects of the secular education that was first established by the colonial government.

By the end of the colonial era, the nationalist agenda clearly dominated the local populace. However, the religious spirit has never been absent from the public interest. The establishment of the Religious Affairs Ministry reflected the institutionalization of religion in all aspects of public life.

Several attempts have been made to simultaneously Islamize and modernize education in Indonesia.

In the golden era of the late president and former research minister BJ Habibie, who also founded the Indonesian Muslim Intellectuals Association (ICMI), the government set a mission to integrate science and technology (iptek) with faith and piety (iman dan taqwa, or imtaq for short).

Central to this idea was the establishment of the SMA Insan Cendekia Serpong senior high school (now a state Islamic high school) near the government’s Center for Science and Technology Research (Puspiptek) in Banten.

Furthermore, in the post-Soeharto era, the State Islamic Institute (IAIN), a higher education institution that previously taught only Islamic subjects, underwent significant reform to become the State Islamic University (UIN). After reform, UIN could offer those subjects previously only taught in general universities, such as engineering, physics and medicine.

Reforms among general and religious institutions have increased both modernization and Islamization in national education.

Moreover, the current hijrah trend — a movement to increased piety among celebrities and high-end people in Jakarta —has brought religion and religious events to popular public spaces like shopping malls, cinemas and cafés.

The purchasing power and financial capability of the new generation of urban Muslims has also increased the demand for religious schools in big cities. Islamic schools have mushroomed in all major cities, charging tuition fees that are almost equal to those of elite international schools.

Last but not least, Islamic boarding schools (pondok pesantren) have played a pivotal role in educating Muslim leaders in Indonesia. This type of school is normally based in a rural setting and serves middle- and lower-class students.

Its rich history, network and inclusivity should be taken into consideration in reforming the Indonesian education system. Amid the current suspicions of religious fundamentalism at elite educational institutions, pesantren should be a fundamental aspect of preserving the country’s tradition of moderate Islam.

Obvious challenges in improving our education include the gap in educational infrastructure between state and private schools, between international and local schools, between schools in Java and outside Java.

Any attempt to modernize Indonesia’s education system should first minimize these gaps. Only then will we be able to unlock academic potentials across the country and prepare a well-educated generation for the nation’s future.

Despite the doubts about minister Nadiem with his business background, he has the potential to undertake educational reform. As some critics have said, naturally it is impossible to manage Indonesian education with merely the start-up approach he is famous for, in which gaining and losing is part of growing a business. As a minister, he must win.

Nadiem should be able to form his strategies within the context and complexity of Indonesian education.

Personally, as a PhD student who prepared for the mandatory IELTS solely through YouTube, I firmly believe that digital technology has huge potential in democratizing access to education in Indonesia.

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