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PRACTICES AND CONCEPTS OF INTEGRATED EDUCATION SYSTEM IN SELECTED
ISLAMIC RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS IN THE MALAY ARCHIPELAGO

Adnan Abd Rashid, Azam Othman, Suhaiah Hussi!n, Ismai Sh!i"h Ahmad # Mastu$a %adzis

A%STRACT

This paper discusses the practices and concepts of integrated education system in selected Islamic
integrated schools in the Malay Archipelago, the underlying factors and issues regarding the schools
leadership and management. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the participants,
namely school leaders and teachers. Preliminary findings suggest that the teachers and the schools
leaders have positive perceptions on the concept, practices and implementation of Islamic Integrated
schools. urthermore, it was o!served that these schools were committed to deliver the !est level of
"uality Islamic education !y improving their teachers teaching s#ills and through a leadership style
that engenders commitment from the teachers. The findings revealed a num!er of important
implications for the future development of the Islamic integrated schools in order to continuously serve
the needs of the students, the parents, and the Muslim ummah.

Fi!d &' R!s!a$(h) Islamic integrated education, Islamic schools, Islamic curriculum, school
management, Malay Archipelago.

***************************************************************************************************************************************

+, Int$&du(ti&n

The Malay Archipelago is located at the heart of South East Asia, encompassing Malaysia, Indonesia,
Singapore, Brunei, and the Philippines. A recent by the Pew orum on !eligion and Public "ife #$%&$'
suggests that South East Asian Muslims are among the most de(out group of Muslims in the world
#Bellman, $%&$', particularly in the performing the $a#ah #almsgi(ing' and sawm #fasting', acts of
worship that are part of the i(e Pillars of the Islamic faith.

!eligious commitment in Islam is not build on indoctrination but through a process of life)long
learning. or Muslims, Islam is not only as a religion but a way of life. Its teachings co(er aspects both
the worldly and hereafter. Ac*uiring a good understanding of Islam in(ol(es becoming a life)long
learner of Islam.

Muslims ha(e always emphasised the need for education especially, for the younger generation. It
was recorded that Prophet Muhammad #peace be upon him' once agreed to the suggestion that grant
freedom to prisoners)of)war under the Muslims+ custody if they can teach a number of Muslim
children to read and write. The Muslim tradition of ,nowledge and scholarly endea(ours continues
throughout the history. The Mongol raid on Baghdad in &$-., the con*uest of Muslim lands by
/estern colonial powers during &0
th
)$%
th
century, and other catastrophic e(ents in the Muslim history
ha(e not pre(ented Muslims from continuing this tradition. Muslims e(erywhere in the world
including the Malay Archipelago ha(e continued establishing Islamic institutions of learning and
produced prominent scholars who are recognised throughout the Muslim world and beyond.


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+,+ %a("-$&und

Islamic integrated schools emphasise the inculcation the Islamic (alues using an education system
that is rele(ant to the needs of the Muslim society. They also aim to de(elop students who are
balanced and ha(e a holistic perspecti(e on ,nowledge which would create a good person %insan'
.Side, Baba, $%%1'. /an Mohd 2ahid Mohd 3ordin #$%%1' defines Islamic Education as the whole
approach to teaching and learning that inculcates Islamic (alues. The entire school ecosystem,
including the school+s leadership and administration, its curriculum, and its surrounding community,
are responsible for the inculcation of these (alues. The best framewor, for an integrated school is not
only about teaching Islamic lessons but also applying Islamic (alues in all aspects of the schools
#4aron 5in 6 Sobri Salamon, &7..8 /an Mohd 3or /an 5aud, $%%-'.

Islamic integrated schools differ from the traditional Islamic school because they emphasise the
importance of teaching both Islamic sub9ects and a"liyah #academic' sub9ects. :ne particular trend
that has emerged in many Muslim societies is the increase in the student enrolment in religious
schools including the Islamic integrated schools. This could be due to Muslims+ perception that
national schools are not teaching their children Islamic (alues and are more secular in its pedagogy
and ob9ecti(es.

Secularisation, i.e. the separation of religion and the state, was among the strategy used by the
colonial administrators to wea,en unity among the nati(e society and their rulers. reedom from
religion was propagated as liberation from authoritarian dogmas and beliefs. The Malay Archipelagos
has a long history of colonialism, dating bac, to the &-
th
century with the arri(al of the Portuguese
and the Spanish. In the following centuries, the British, the 5utch, and the rench colonial powers
gained control o(er the region. Malaysia and Singapore were under the control of the British while
Indonesia was under the 5utch rule. 3ati(e youths were pro(ided /estern)based education with the
main purpose of producing officers who would ser(e the colonial administration. 5uring this period,
Islamic education was suppressed both directly and indirectly. The colonial administration ga(e (ery
little support for any Islamic education institution and resorted to using force whene(er they percei(e
an institution as a threat.

Before its independence, the integration of the academic and Islamic ,nowledge in Malaysia was
pioneered by a group of progressi(e, Middle)Eastern graduates labeled as &aum Muda #The ;oung
!eformists'. They were opposed by traditionally)inclined group of scholars ,nown as &aum Tua #The
:ld <onser(ati(es' #!osnani 4ashim, $%%='. The &aum Tua were defending the orthodo> way of
learning Islamic sub9ects, which they percei(e as the best way to produce scholars in Islamic fields of
,nowledge. 4owe(er, the orthodo> system was inade*uate in terms of producing graduates who
could fill important professional roles needed by society. The modern madrasah that the &aum Muda
established offered both Islamic sub9ects and the pre(iously ignored academic sub9ects such as
mathematics and science.

Many pondo# and madrasah in pre)&7=? Malaysia and Singapore and the Indonesian pasentren offer
religious sub9ects such as fi"h, syariah, and Arabic "anguage as part of their curriculum, with (ery few
a"liyah #academic' sub9ects. After its separation from Malaysia, Singaporean pondo# and madrasah
underwent rigorous go(ernmental transformation as part of a plan to assimilate the Malay Muslims
into the rest of the society. As a result, religious sub9ects were sidelined in fa(our of secular
academics sub9ects #/ilson, &7?.', creating a demand among certain Muslim parents for religious

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schools as an alternati(e to the mainstream Singaporean education system.

The Islamic school system in Indonesia had gone through (arious changes throughout the decades.
Before &7?-, pasentrens were a training ground for religious leaders or imams. In &7?-, a decree was
proclaimed by the go(ernment to modernise the pasentrens. The pasentrens were accused of being
bac,ward and not ,eeping up with rapidly changing modern world. Their graduates often face
difficulty in getting 9obs because of their unrecognised *ualification.

Islamic education systems and schools in these countries face a similar challenge, which is the *uest
for a curriculum that integrates both the religious and academic sub9ects. An integrated curriculum
and school system is one way of producing students with good bac,ground in Islamic ,nowledge and
able to meet the demands of the national wor,force. <urrently, not much has been written about the
Islamic integrated schools. This study in(estigated the best practices in a number of selected
Malaysian, Singaporean, and Indonesian Islamic integrated schools, with the aim of learning about
factors that could lead to the success of the Islamic integrated education system.

/, Lit!$atu$! R!0i!1

Th! C&n(!2t &' Int!-$at!d Edu(ati&n

Ta9ol Ariffin 3oordin and 3or Aini 5an #$%%?' argue that /estern education system is mainly based on
empirical ,nowledge and e>cludes the re(ealed ,nowledge. In other words, this education system is
disconnected from @od and religion. This line of thin,ing is the result of (iewing all field of ,nowledge
using the empirical perspecti(e. The ,nowledge of social sciences and the arts are treated similarly to
the Ahard+ sciences that ha(e (ery little concern for (alues and sub9ecti(ity #2ahra Al 2eera, $%%&'.
Moneer M. al):taibi and 4a,im M. !ashid #&77?, p&$' summarise how colonialism changed the
traditional Islamic education system.

The second half of the &7th century <.E., therefore, saw many reforms introduced into the
traditional Islamic system that brought it more in line with the European approach. As the
stage was set for the e(entual colonial domination of the Muslim world by the European
powers, a form of educational colonialism had already been firmly planted in the Islamic
state. The dual educational system, one religious and one secular, that came to characteriBe
the Muslim world was not, therefore, the sole in(ention of the coloniBers.

Syed 3a*uib Al)Attas presented the fundamental concepts and philosophy of an integrated education
in the &
st
/orld <onference on Islamic Education in Ma,,ah, &7?? #S.M. al)3a*uib al)Attas, &7??'.
The conference came up with the resolution that e(ery Muslim nation should prioritise the
integration of Islamic (alues in their education system. This resolution mar,ed the beginning of a new
chapter in the history of modern Islam education system.

Mohd Camal 4assan #$%&%' urged for Muslims to return to the Duranic paradigm of de(elopment.
<olonisation and globaliBation has lead many Muslim nations to implement education system that
mirrors the /estern educational philosophy of the west without much thought about its impact on
Islam and the Muslim society. In this conte>t, the notion of the 'lu Al Al!a! or Epeople of sound
reasoningF is of the utmost importance. /hat is needed to realise this (ision is an educational system
where the re(ealed ,nowledge is inculcated with the worldly a"liyah or academic ,nowledge. The

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word Al!a! that stems from the word a"l which means intellect or reason is mentioned se(eral times
in the Duran. Thus, it is imperati(e that the education system must be focus on producing this type of
indi(iduals. The foundations #philosophy', curriculum and pedagogy must be geared towards this aim.
Mohd Camal 4assan further e>plained that there are se(eral types of Islamic education systemG
the completely secular system where only the a"liyah sub9ects are taught.
the predominantly religious educational system where few a"liyah sub9ects are
taught
the predominantly worldly educational system where few Islamic sub9ects are taught
the system that offers a balance of Islamic and a"liyah sub9ects
the system where the two streams, Islamic and a"liyah, are brought into meaningful and
dynamic interaction with one another

Cha$a(t!$isti(s &' Int!-$at!d Edu(ati&n

Islamic education is crucial for e(ery indi(idual Muslim. An important principle and feature of Islamic
education is it concerns both life in this world and the hereafter. Through this approach Muslims are
enabled to progress materially or spiritually, in accordance with the (alues stated in the Duran.

The Islamic educational system is concerned with the de(elopment of Man as a whole being where
he or she must first ha(e ,nowledge of Allah before ac*uiring the other fields of ,nowledge. In fact,
ha(ing ,nowledge of Allah and belief in 4im, and realising his nature through the ac*uisition of
,nowledge may lead him to follow the commandments of Allah and see, 4is pleasure. Ta9ol Ariffin
3oordin and 3or Aini 5an #$%%?' postulates a model of integrated education as human as the central
point while @od, Hni(erse and Man,ind act as peripheral to the achie(ement of ,nowledge, as
depicted in igure &.














Fi-u$! +) Integrated education model #Ta9ol Ariffin 3oordin 6 3or Aini 5an, $%%?'

Islam does not restrict the fields of ,nowledge to religious studies but it always encourages man to
disco(er scientific ,nowledge. 5irecting man+s intellect towards the uni(erse may draw him to realise
of the e>istence of the <reator. The Islamic education system re*uires Man to utilise the whole range
of human faculties, physical and non)physical, in order to ,now Allah as @od and realise his or her
duty as 4is ser(ant to contribute in the de(elopment of society.
Allah
Hni(erse Man,ind
Insan

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R!s!a$(h 3u!sti&n

The main ob9ecti(e of this paper is to discuss practices, concept, and implementation of Islamic
integrated school in the Malay Archipelago, particularly in Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia. Thus,
this paper will centre on the following research *uestionG what are the concepts, practices and
implementation of integrated educational system in the selected Islamic schools in Malay
ArchipelagoI

4, R!s!a$(h D!si-n and M!th&d&&-5

The findings of this paper were obtained through the *ualitati(e approach. 5ata was mainly gathered
using semi)structured inter(iews. As e>plained by Patton #$%%$', inter(iews are done when
beha(iours and processes can not be obser(ed properly. @i(en the fact that we were faced with time
and financial constraints, we were unable to obser(e the teachers and principals while they were
performing their duties. An inter(iew protocol was then de(eloped to help guide inter(iewers based
on the research *uestion.

Sam2!

The schools in(ol(ed in the study were selected using theoretical sampling. 5enBin and "incoln #&77='
describes theoretical sampling as selecting cases from a population after assessing critical parameters
regarding the population that are related to the study. or this study, the school chosen were Islamic
integrated schools in Malaysian, Singapore and Indonesia with a good academic trac, record, as
ac,nowledged by the respecti(e education authority. Specifically, these schools manage to produce a
high percentage of students with e>cellent results in the public e>aminations. The schools areG

&. Se,olah Menengah ImtiaB, Malaysia #ImtiaB'
$. Madrasah Al)Amin, Malaysia #Al)Amin'
1. Madrasah Al9unied Al Islamiah, Singapore #Al9unied'
=. Se,olah Berasrama Integrasi @omba,, Malaysia #Integrasi @omba,'
-. Pasentren @ontor, Solo, Indonesia #@ontor'

Tab! +) Numb!$ &' t!a(h!$s int!$0i!1!d
C&unt$5 Numb!$ &' t!a(h!$s int!$0i!1!d
Malaysia ?
Singapore -
Indonesia 0

A total of &. teachers and principals were inter(iewed #see Table &'. The inter(iewees (ary in terms of
teaching e>perience, ranging from a few decades to 9ust a few years. The inter(iews were conducted
in-situ and recorded using digital audio and (ideo recorders, after obtaining consent from the
inter(iewees and the school. Transcriptions of the audio and (ideo recordings were analysed using
thematic analysis. The analysis produced a list of themes describing the practices and concepts of the
schools. The themes+ (alidity and reliability were chec,ed through multiple)in(estigator triangulation.


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6, Findin-s

Th! (&n(!2t &' Isami( int!-$at!d s(h&&s

The Islamic integrated schools were established with a number of ob9ecti(es in mind. These ob9ecti(es
are similar although they are described differently. or e>ample Al Amin aspires to produce students
who are soleh wa musleh, Muslims with firm belie(e in their religion and are able to inspire the same
le(el of belie(e in others. ImtiaB+s aim is to de(elop students with Duranic, encyclopedic, and i9tihadic
#Duran)based, (astly ,nowledgeable, and critical)minded' *ualities. Al9unied wants their students to
become scholars of the highest calibre, as warastal al an!iyya #the successors of the Prophets'.

Essentially, the schools put great emphasiBe on students character building, particularly the
de(elopment of leadership *ualities. The school hopes to produce leaders who are capable of ser(ing
the nation and the Muslim ummah. Student de(elopment is also (iewed from a holistic perspecti(e,
encompassing the physical, intellectual, spiritual, and mental aspects. The schools belie(e that it is
important for the students to be taught about Islam in a practical manner. or this reason, the schools
assign their students duties and responsibilities in classrooms, dormitories, clubs and societies, and at
the school le(el.

The *uality of students is determined from multiple aspects including but not limited academic and
co)curricular achie(ements. Their student assessment system is much more comprehensi(e than the
system in go(ernment schools and includes indicators such as adherence to Islamic practices and
Duranic reading s,ill.

Cu$$i(uum

All the schools in this sample are pri(ate institutions e>cept Integrasi @omba,. Integrasi @omba, is a
go(ernment school and fully implements the national curriculum. The pri(ate institutions, on the
other hand, ha(e some autonomy o(er the design their curriculum, especially with respect to the
Islamic components. They are still re*uired to offer specific academic sub9ects such as mathematics,
as directed by the education authority. Their curriculum appears to be a mi> of academic sub9ects and
Islamic sub9ects. Islamic sub9ects are either ta,en from their self)de(eloped curriculum or the national
curriculum. The inclusion of the national curriculum sub9ects allows their students to sit for the
national standardised e>aminations, which is an important entrance *ualification to many higher
learning institutions local and abroad.

Another ma9or feature in the schools+ curriculum is the emphasis on Arabic language proficiency. The
Arabic language is particularly important to the study of Islam because the most of the main
references of Islamic ,nowledge are in Arabic, including the Duran. Mastering the language will help
the students to learn about Islam from the main sources instead of ha(ing to learn through secondary
sources such as translated wor,s. This will also help them to understand the classical wor, of earlier
Muslim scholars and to synthesise new ,nowledge based on the classical and modern references.

The curriculum in these schools is also closely)integrated with the Duran. The Duran is the considered
the highest source of ,nowledge in Islam. Since the students here learn Arabic, they are able to at
least understand te>tual meaning of the Duran, if not the conte>tual meaning. They are also re*uired
to memorise particular chapters or the whole Duran, depending on the school+s re*uirements. ImtiaB,

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for e>ample, trains its students to become huffa$ #memorisers' of the Duran. Their students+ schedule
is carefully organised in order to facilitate the process of Duranic memorisation. The mornings are
allocated for the classroom learning while the afternoons are dedicated for Duranic memorisation
sessions. Al)Amin sets a lower re*uirement for their students, which is only a few (u$+ #parts' of the
Duran to be memorised e(ery year.

The schools also belie(e that the co)curricular aspects are an integral part of the holistic de(elopment
of the students. Besides offering uniform bodies, societies, and sports, the schools organises
programmes such as annual camping trips, (isits to other schools and places of interests, sending
students to ser(e as imam at nearby mos*ues, and community ser(ices programmes. Some of these
programmes are compulsory and are part of the students+ assessment.

T!a(hin- and !a$nin-

The practices of teaching and learning at the Islamic integrated schools appear to be student)centred.
Many student)centred approaches including problem)based learning, cooperati(e learning, and team
teaching are applied in the classrooms. The good academic trac, record of these schools may pro(ide
a case for wider implementation student)centred learning in go(ernment schools. 4owe(er, these
schools are mostly smaller compared to go(ernment schools, allowing them to be fle>ible with their
implementation of student)centred approaches.

Assessments of students differ according the type of the sub9ects. or the sub9ects that are adapted or
self)de(eloped, the assessments are super(ised by the schools+ curriculum unit, department, or
committee. The standards of the adapted or self)de(eloped curriculum are re(ised from time to time,
although it mostly happens when the need arises. or instance, if too many students seem to be
struggling with a particular sub9ect, the super(ising group will discuss the possible causes and how to
help the students. /hen Al)Amin teachers realised that their students were not meeting the standard
Duranic memorisation re*uirement, they decreased the number of the of Duranic (u$+ #parts' to be
memorised.

Students are also trained to e>ercise it(ihadic #critical' thin,ing when sol(ing problems. This is to
prepare them as future Muslim scholars who will contribute in sol(ing complicated issues and
problems related to the Muslim ummah. The teaching and usage of English is also gi(en importance
as a way of helping students to reach out to a broader segment of society. A teacher at ImtiaB
mentioned that he challenged his students to discuss the Islamic method of cattle slaughtering from
the scientific perspecti(e. According to him, this type of e>ercise is an important step in the
integration of Islamic and academic ,nowledge.

The teachers describe collegial support in the form of discussions and feedbac, as part of their
wor,ing culture. This is guided by concept of syura or mutual consultation, an important decision)
ma,ing principle in Islam. :pinions are pooled from the group in(ol(ed before the appointed leader
arri(es to an informed decision. Syura allows teachers to gain wide perspecti(e of an issue *uic,ly and
collecti(ely. The decisions made through syura are not dependent on the (iew of ma9ority but based
on the deliberation on the matter discussed.

Syura is fostered by ha(ing a mutual commitment and belief in the schools+ mission and (ision, aims,
and philosophy. Many teachers at Al9unied consider the school as their second home. They try to fit

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their daily schedule so that they can optimise the amount of the time they spend at school. A sense of
belonging and loyalty to school is a strong moti(ator for the teachers in performing their duties.

5iscussions on teaching practices are often done in order to help teachers to impro(e professionally.
They are sources of feedbac, on the teachers+ performance and for getting feedbac, on the
curriculum. In @ontor, discussions are held at the department le(el as well as with the other branches
of the school. The teachers of Integrasi @omba, often discuss with the school counsellors on how to
help students who need special attention.

T$ainin-

The school are committed to the continuous de(elopment of their staff. Trainings for the teachers are
conducted for professional de(elopment, self)de(elopment, and teaching)related.

Teaching)related trainings are aimed at impro(ing the teachers+ teaching s,ills. It includes I<T s,ills
training, pedagogical training, and sub9ect)specific training. Professional training de(elops the
teachers+ s,ills in other areas of their wor,, for instance teamwor, and managerial s,ills. Self)
de(elopment trainings, which target the de(elopment of the teachers+ inner self, are considered
highly important by the schools. Spiritual)enhancement retreats, congregation praying, and tal,s by
distinguish scholars and notable spea,ers are e>ample of self)de(elopment training done in the
schools.

Training can be costly. 3ot e(ery school, especially the pri(ate ones, can afford to send all their
teachers for continuous training. 4owe(er, this constraint has not discouraged these schools from
pro(iding ade*uate training when necessary. Al9unied teachers without any formal *ualification as a
teacher are send for training at the 3ational Institute of Education on wee,ends and after office)
hours with some assistance from the the Singaporean go(ernment. As a school owned by the state
go(ernment, ImtiaB teachers recei(e numerous opportunities for trainings, organised by the state
go(ernment.

7, Dis(ussi&n

Islamic integrated schools pro(ide a (iable solution for a holistic and integrated Islamic education
system. This system offers parents and students the ability to choose between studying in Islamic
studies or in professional fields such as medicine, engineering, and accountancy. And regardless of the
choice, parents are at least assured that their children will ha(e a good foundation in Islamic
,nowledge.

The growing number of applicants suggests that Islamic integrated education is gaining acceptance
among the Muslims as an alternati(e to go(ernment school and the madrasahs, although this trend is
yet to be considered widespread. The number of Islamic integrated schools is much smaller compared
to other types of schools. It is possible that the schools will not be able to cater for the growing
demand unless they pursue an aggressi(e e>pansion plan in the near future.

<urrently, these schools select their students through entrance e>aminations and inter(iews. The
relati(e small number of students enables the school to maintain a good academic trac, record. It

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remains to be seen if these schools can handle a growing student population while maintaining their
le(el of *uality.

The schools in this sample (ary in terms of their curriculum design and the aspects of Islamic
education that they choose to emphasis. The lac, of uniform features in their curriculum raises a few
important *uestions. Is it better for Islamic integrated schools follow their own specific integrated
curriculumI 4ow would parents e(aluate which school offer the better curriculumI

In terms of teaching and administration, the school benefits from a sense of belonging shared that is
among the school+s community. This is certainly an ad(antage that Islamic integrated schools ha(e
since they also carefully select their own staff. @o(ernment schools may not be able to adopt the
e>act same practices, but at the (ery least they can adapt the practices in a manner that best suits
their situation.

8, C&n(usi&n

The need for a holistic Islamic education system has ne(er been more important. The Islamic
integrated schools offer a (iable option for a holistic and integrated education system that can meet
the needs of both the Muslim ummah and the nation. At the same time, these schools are in the
de(eloping stage in some countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia while still in the pioneering stage
in other countries such as Singapore. Islamic religious schools ha(e the potential to help Muslim,
irrespecti(e of whether they are a ma9ority or minority group. As researchers, we can contribute to
the de(elopment of an Islamic education system by understanding the challenges and issues faced by
these schools and suggesting ideas and impro(ements.

R!'!$!n(!s

Bellman, E. #$%&$, August $?'. Southeast Asian Muslims Among /orld+s Most 5e(out. The )all Street
*ournal. !etrie(ed from httpGJJblogs.ws9.comJsearealtimeJ$%&$J%.J$?Jsoutheast)asian)muslims
among)worlds)most)de(outJ

5enBin, 3., 6 "incoln, ;. #Eds.'. #&77='. +and!oo# of ,ualitative -esearch. Thousand :a,s,
<aliforniaG Sage Publications.

4aron 5in 6 Sobri Salamon #&7..'. Masalah Pendidi#an Islam di Malaysia. Cuala "umpurG Al
!ahmaniah

Mohd Camal 4assan #$%&%'. A return to the Dur+Knic paradigm of de(elopment an integrated
,nowledgeG The HlL al)AlbKb model. Intellectual .iscourse, &. #$', &.1)$&%.

Moneer M. al):taibi 6 4a,im M. !ashid #&77?'. The role of schools in Islamic societyG 4istorical and
contemporary perspecti(es. American Mournal of Islamic Social Sciences, &=, &)&..

Patton, M. D. #$%%$'. ,ualitative -esearch and /valuation Methods #1rd ed.'. Thousand
:a,s, <aliforniaG Sage Publications.

!osnani 4ashim #$%%='. /ducation .ualism in Malaysia0 Implication for Theory and Practice. Cuala

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