Government Must Watch Out Homeschooling

NU Online – Homeschooling had become an alternative of education purposes in Indonesia. However, in the implementation, homeschooling still needed further review and monitoring from the government. It was worrying that the Center for the Study of Islam and Society (PPIM) of the Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University (UIN) Jakarta could not find any data about the homeschooling registered in regional education agencies.

The fact was revealed by PPIM UIN Jakarta research coordinator, Arif Subhan, when he released the result of a research entitled “Radicalism and Homeschooling: Measuring the Resilience and Vulnerability” at the San Pacific Hotel, Jl. MH Thamrin, Jakarta, on Thursday (29/11). 

On the occasion, he called on the government to review and monitor the existence of homeschooling in order to ensure their quality of education. “We want [homeschooling] to be part of our education sector, but we should also monitor them and ensure their quality,” Arif said.

The research, conducted in Jakarta, Depok, Tangerang Selatan, Bandung, Solo, Makassar, and Padang, found that exclusive-Salafism homeschooling showed a high tendency on self-isolation. They refused to interact and build communication with other communities.

“Exclusive-Salafism homeschooling have a potential to make their students experience a ‘spiral’ of self-exclusivism because they lack the opportunity to be engaged with other communities,” Arif said.

The research divided homeschooling into two categories – non religious-based homeschooling and religious-based homeschooling. The second type, then, was divided into three categories: inclusive-Salafism Islamic homeschooling, exclusive-Salafism Islamic homeschooling, and non-Muslim homeschooling.

Arif elaborated that he initiated the research following the Surabaya bombing attacks in 2018. The suicidal bombings were committed by a father, a mother, and their kids, all from one family. He cited media reports that the parents in the bombing attacks did not send their kids to formal schools. They were reported to teach them at home on their own.

“This should raise concern that homeschooling, which are gaining popularity as an alternative option of education in Indonesia, are vulnerable to the exposure of radical religious views,” he said.

Education and Culture Ministry Regulation No. 129/2014 categorized homeschooling into three types. First was single homeschooling, in which parents became the teachers. Second was the hybrid homeschooling, where parents and teachers from homeschooling communities help each other in the learning processes. The third was the homeschooling that was fully established by certain agencies, and already had organized curriculum and certain teachers.

Head of Education Equality of the Education and Culture Ministry, Subi Sudarto, admitted that it was not easy for the government to list the data of single homeschooling.

Reporter: Syakir NF 

Editor: Kendi Setiawan

Source: https://www.nu.or.id/post/read/114044/pemerintah-harus-pantau-sekolah-rumah
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