From Mosques Building Civilization: Al-Zaytun Towards Revolutionary Transformation of Boarding Education
INDRAMAYU-JAYA NEWS.COM — After Friday Prayers (05/30/2025) at the Rahmatan Lil Alamin Mosque in the Al-Zaytun Complex in Indramayu, West Java, the solemn atmosphere of the congregation continued in the typical Al-Zaytun tradition, namely Friday Dhikr, with Syaykh AS Panji Gumilang.
As usual, Friday Dhikr is an educational forum, where the Syaykh conveys various strategic views to build collective awareness.
This time, he spoke about the big plan, “Training of Educators, as part of a serious effort to realize revolutionary boarding education.”
Towards 21st Century Education: A Revolutionary Movement
This training program is scheduled to start in early June, with Prof. Dr. Sutrisna Wibawa from Yogyakarta as the main speaker. Official invitation letters have been sent to important officials, including the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, the Minister of Higher Education, and the Minister of Culture.
Although there has been no response, this initial step has been firmly laid.
The main theme of this student development is:
“Towards Revolutionary Transformation of Boarding Education for the Realization of 15-Year Compulsory Education to Welcome 100 Years of Indonesian Independence and Towards Modern Indonesia in the 21st Century.”
This theme will continue to be the main axis, while the sub-themes in the weekly meetings will be adjusted and changed every week.
The hope is that even though this transformation has not been fully realized in the near future, at least the real foundation has been laid, and Al-Zaytun has started it.
Student Training: Who is Involved?
In June, two professors will be present as guest speakers. One of them is a national figure, Prof. Dr. Wardiman Djoyonegoro, who will explore key issues in the transformation of boarding education. The program is designed to bring in at least one professor every month. Therefore, anyone who has the opportunity should not miss it—because training like this is invaluable.
This transformation has a big goal: to equalize education throughout the country, with equal quality. Wherever someone lives, education must be accessible and enjoyable.
In this education system, teachers are the main element. Students will also be selected to participate in this program. However, the success of the boarding system does not only depend on teachers and students, but also on other elements of education actors.
Extracurricular supervisors, those in charge of sports, campus security, food service, and even farmers who provide food ingredients are all part of the education actors. Every aspect of life in the dormitory contributes to the success of education. Even campus security officers are counted as inseparable education actors.
Only by involving all these elements in a comprehensive and integrated manner can the transformation of education be called revolutionary.
Education is the State’s Responsibility
The implementation of the 15-year compulsory education program must be understood as a form of the state’s responsibility towards its citizens. If implemented properly, Indonesia will be able to face the future with confidence as a modern nation in the 21st century. And all of that can only be prepared through mature education.
Syaykh emphasized, “No one should be absent from this training.”
Mosque: From Place of Worship to Center of Civilization
To make this program a success, the committee has chosen a representative and inspiring location: the Rahmatan Lil Alamin Mosque. This mosque is not just a place of ritual worship, but a symbol of social awakening and civilization transformation.
“If the mosque is only used as a place of ritual, that’s normal. But if the mosque becomes the center of social and educational transformation, that is the true meaning of building a civilization,” said Syaykh.
All training activities will be centralized in this mosque. From this mosque will echo the values of revolutionary transformation in the world of education.
The main theme is maintained throughout the year, with adjustments to the sub-themes each month according to the dynamics and needs of education.
Participant Obligations: Listening, Taking Notes, Responding
For training participants, dedication is the main key. They not only attend, but are also required to summarize the material presented at each meeting, note important points, and provide responses in discussion sessions.
For this reason, the committee has prepared a special sheet with a uniform format as a container for documenting participants’ writing. At the end of each semester, participants’ notes and responses will be collected and compiled into strategic guidelines for educational policy makers. From this documentation, it will be clear how far this educational transformation has taken place.
Meaningful Steps
Syaykh AS Panji Gumilang closed his presentation with a meaningful reminder.
” This training must be a meaningful step.The best of us are those who are able to utilize their life journey to give meaning and direction to the future.” ***
Ali Aminulloh
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