Islamic Education in Malaysia

Abstract

Islamic education in Malaysia first recorded its presence during the period of the Malaccan Sultanate (1414–1511). Malacca witnessed the birth of prototype boarding schools known as pondok, literally meaning “hut,” in which the master or tok guru assumed full control. Malay students started to study at al-Azhar University in Cairo in the 1920s. Upon returning to Malaya, this new generation of Middle Eastern graduates significantly contributed to the changing face of Islamic education. They converted umumi (general) pondoks into madrasahs, adopting the nizami (structured) system, which combined instruction in Islamic fundamentals with Western-influenced pedagogy and technology. Realizing the deep attachment of the Malays to Islam, the British incorporated some form of Islamic education into Malay vernacular schools. With Malaysia’s independence, centralization of the administration and curricula of all schools that offer some kind of Islamic education has dominated the Ministry of Education’s efforts in the realm of formal Islamic education. There is continuous endeavor to bring an end to dualism between secular and religious education, as manifested in the marriage between Islamic and secular sciences in tertiary-level courses. In 1973, a Religious Education Division (Bahagian Pelajaran Agama) was established within the Ministry of Education to coordinate Islamic education. In 1983, it was renamed Islamic Education Division (Bahagian Pendidikan Islam). In 1995, it was restructured as Islamic and Moral Education Division (Bahagian Pendidikan Islam dan Moral). It has now reverted to Islamic Education Division, and its task is to manage the Islamic educational policy and curriculum, the Arabic-language policy and curriculum, the recruitment and in-service training of Islamic education and Arabic-language teachers, and missionary and leadership training for Islamic education staff and students, and to aid and raise the standards of both national secondary religious schools. Centralization of the administration and curricula of all schools that offer some kind of Islamic education has dominated the Ministry of Education’s efforts in the realm of formal Islamic education. Curriculum has been designed to accomplish the aims of the Islamic Philosophy of Education. There is continuous endeavor to bring an end to dualism between secular and religious education, as manifested in the marriage between Islamic and secular sciences in tertiary-level courses.