Madrasas and Modernity: comparison of muslim identity and global context in curriculum of Madrasas in Indonesia and India

The Islamic educational system in Indonesia has been described as "among the most open and innovative in the world" for the willingness of Indonesian Muslim educators to go beyond religious studies to offer marketable skills and general education. Tan argue that most Islamic schools in Indonesia reflect an educative tradition: the inclusion of modern 'secular' (non-religious) subjects, the adoption of student-centred pedagogies, and the provision of a variety of student activities. In case of curriculum's reformation in Indonesia, the contemporary of madrasas can not be separated from the major reform in Madrasas in 1975. It was the first preliminary step towards integrating the two systems of education in Indonesia. The all students in Muslim schools should receive a general elementary education of at least six years in addition to their religious studies. It was known as the "Three Ministers' Joint Agreement" (SKB Tiga Menteri In India, the issue of madrasas reform has crucial implications for Muslim education. It also related to the nature of Muslim leadership and for community agendas. The syllabus employed at the Indian madrassas went through a process of gradual transformation over time, corresponding with the changing needs of the state. Until the early sixteenth century, the focus of the madrassas was essentially on fiqh, the details of Islamic jurisprudence. The paved away in reforming madrasas is not easy. They faced with increasing opposition from militant Hindu groups and large sections of the Indian press and the suspicion of the state, Indian madrasas have had to deal with charges of lending support to radical Islamist movements in Kashmir, Pakistan and Afghanistan, many of whose activists are madrasa students. On the whole, the Indian madrasas have responded by denying any links with these movements, stressing instead their "secular" and "patriotic" credentials, pointing out the great role of the ulema in the freedom movement against the British, opposing the "two-nation" theory of the Muslim League, and preaching harmony between Hindus and Muslims.