A Muslim children’s education in Tegal Menukan: the role of the family and reorientation of religious education

Abstract

Education for Muslim children traditionally still upholds the principles of religious ideological values taught in the Muslim community enviroment. The role of family and parents has a major role in preparing the Muslim generation, especially in the process of daily religious teaching. This study aims to highlight the central role of parents in the prosess of religious education of Muslim children and the extent to which the contemporary era, especially in the Tegal Menukan area of Yogyakarta. This type of research is a case study using a descriptive qualitative approach. Research data were collected through observation, interview, and documentation techniques with primary and secondary data sources. To strengthen the validity of the data, the research useh a series of triangulation and data reduction techniques before drawing conclusion. The results of this study indicate that: First, the active role of parents in education children from an early age in Tegal Menukan can mostly be categorized at the naïve leves of awareness. However, among them there are also those who have a level of critical awareness where parents pay more attention and provide religious teaching from an early age. Second, the role of parents in realizing a progressive Muslim generation includes at least three areas: a) education principles; b) seletion of Islamic-based schools; c) internalization of ideology. Third, the inhibiting and supporting factors for the role of parents in educating children have since been in two aspects, namely the environment and tecnology.