Notes on the Islamic School at Gontor

Abstract

In 1926, three brothers from an old family of Kjai in the Ponorogo district, urged by a sense of "responsibility to continue and improve the work of their predecessors in spreading Islamic science and culture"(2), reorganized a decaying pesantren at GdntorO) and made of it a new type of Islamic school in Java.Though they called the place "Daarussalaam" (Abode of Peace), it was soon popularly labeled "Pondok-Moderen."Of the three founders, K. H. Imam Zarkasji is still the intellectual director of the school, while K. H. Ahmad Sahal is called pengasuh (guardian) and apparently devotes himself mainly to the moral education of the boys.The other brother, K. H. Zainuddin Fanani, now works in the Department of Social Affairs in Djakarta.The village head (lurah) is another relative.At present Gontor is a secondary school providing a 6-year course to about 1,000 boys (1,100 in 1958).Some come there directly from primary school, some from S.M.P. -junior secondary school -provision being made for the latter to complete the course in a shorter period.The condition for admission is an examination set by the pondok itself in Indonesian, arithmetic and the ability to read the Qur'an in Arabic.(*0There is no attempt to conform closely to the government school system or to prepare the boys for the government examinations.Gontor sets its own examinations (2 per year).A university, called Universitas Daarussalaam, is being set up and a first-year class is already operating, with 40 students, most of whom are teachers in the secondary school.Later years will be added as students and teaching staff become available.