DIKOTOMI PENDIDIKAN DI INDONESIA: ANTARA SEKOLAH UMUM DAN MADRASAH

Abstract

The dichotomy of education in Indonesia, which separates the public school system and the madrasah, is rooted in the legacy of Dutch colonialism and other complex issues. This paper examines this fundamental problem, including its history, emerging issues, impacts, and proposed solutions. Etymologically, "dichotomy" means division into two parts, and in the context of education in Indonesia, it refers to the separation of Islamic religious education and general education. This separation affects administrative aspects, policies, quality, public perception, funding, and access to educational resources. This dichotomy has led to competency gaps, discrimination against graduates, and produced less responsible scientists and religious scholars who are less socially sensitive. Other impacts include a split system and inconsistency of policies, gaps in teacher funding and welfare, challenges in accepting new students, and social disparities. Although the government has attempted to address this dichotomy through various regulations and equalization, the dualism of the education system is still maintained, often leading to discrimination in teacher funding and welfare. To fundamentally address this problem, this paper suggests a holistic and integrated approach, including curriculum revision that combines general and religious knowledge, comprehensive teacher training, improvement of educational facilities, and awareness campaigns to change public perceptions.