Pati — Increasingly here, the quality of madrasah is increasingly existing, with the end of the madrasah becoming the top choice of the upper-class society. This was not due to magic bim salabim or just coincidence, but apart from the blessings of Allah, there were also hard, smart, sincere and through efforts from all madrasah leaders from the centre to the regions which greatly determined success and happiness. The taglines of the Director of Institutional, Student Affairs, Infrastructure, Curriculum (KSKK) for Madrasah starting from Madrasah Lebih Baik, Lebih Baik Madrasah, then followed by the tagline Madrasah Hebat Bermartabat and finally carrying the tagline Madrasah Mandiri Berprestasi really inspires madrasah warriors to the root level the very bottom.
The results of the struggle and sacrifice of the madrasah warriors were not in vain, in recent years, the name Insan Cendikia Serpong State Madrasah Aliyah (MAN) has appeared in the headlines of national news and has been recognized by all groups including the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) as Indonesia’s best madrasah and schools from any perspective, in terms of system, process, and output, which were later followed by other madrasah, such as MAN IC Pekalongan, MAN PK Surakarta, MAN 2 Kudus, and so on. In almost every district, it is certain that there is one madrasah, either Madrasah Ibtidaiyah (MI), Madrasah Tsanawiyah (MTs), or Madrasah Aliyah (MA) which are favoured by the surrounding community to be the favourite madrasah. Even with the zoning system not being implemented in madrasah, it is an opportunity for residents from outside the region and even across provinces, to seek the blessings of the madrasah in droves.
On August 19, 2020, 3 years ago, the Head of the Regional Office of the Ministry of Religion of Central Java Province, Mr. Musta’in Ahmad with the tagline Jateng Majeng (Moderat, Akuntabel, Jernih, Ngayomi) made a smart policy for madrasah in Central Java, namely the Sahabat Madrasah Program with their circular letter Number 9815 dated 19 August 2020.
Sahabat Madrasah is a flagship program for Madrasah Education in Central Java, which aims to improve the quality of madrasah throughout Central Java. It’s like the saying khoirunnas anfauhum linnas (the best human being is one that is beneficial to others). Likewise with madrasah. The best madrasah is those that is beneficial to another madrasah. One madrasah cannot be said to be great if its prowess cannot provide benefits (greatness) to another madrasah.
With this madrasah companion program, it is hoped that madrasah that is already good will become mentors for other madrasah that are not yet good, so that they can both become good and even better madrasah so that in the end the madrasah in Central Java will not be left behind in quality.
MTsN 1 Pati is the Most Favourite Main Madrasah in Central Java
With the launching of Sahabat Madrasah by the Head of the Regional Office of the Central Java Ministry of Religion, MTsN 1 Pati immediately seized this good opportunity by entering into an MOU with one of the Madrasah at the northern end of Pati Regency, namely MTs Manahijul Huda Ngagel, Dukuhsekti, Pati which was the first target as a madrasah assisted by MTsN 1 Pati. After the signing of the MOU on August 21 2020, the two madrasahs immediately started sharing and coaching together, give and take each other, what was more in MTsN 1 Pati was given to the MTs they were fostering. And vice versa, what is in the target MTs and not in MTsN 1 Pati is also taken by the Madrasah Pembina, so that they complement each other. The results were truly extraordinary, in one semester the Foster Madrasah were able to win a national level championship, where before joining the Sahabat Madrasah program, there had never been a champion at the Central Java level.
Until now, MTsN 1 Pati has 18 Fostered Madrasah consisting of 3 Elementary Madrasahs, 1 Aliyah Madrasah, and 15 Tsanawiyah Madrasah, of which 3 are from outside Pati Regency, namely Jepara Regency and Bantul Regency, DIY. The average Madrasah has undergone significant changes. Some had increased academic achievement, some had improved character, and many had increased the number of students.
With such real conditions, the Head of the Regional Office of the Ministry of Religion of Central Java Province gave an award to MTsN 1 Pati as the Most Favourite Main Madrasah in Central Java whose charter was submitted by the Governor of Central Java on 29 September 2021.
Such is the enormity of the Sahabat Madrasah program, that all advanced madrasahs should want to do sharing activities like that. We don’t need to be afraid if our madrasah is rivalled by another madrasah. There is no need to even be afraid that our madrasah will be defeated by our fostered madrasah, because a good teacher is a teacher who gives his students the opportunity to develop according to their potential, and if tomorrow the student’s ability exceeds his teacher, then he must be happy as a teacher, the same goes for madrasah. If all schools want to be like that, you can be sure that the quality will be evenly distributed and will further elevate the name of the madrasah, while not requiring high costs.
Wallahu a’lam
Diambil dari artikel “Sahabat Madrasah, Solusi Pemerataan Kualitas Madrasah yang Efektif”
Translator: Miss Nia, By: Ali Musyafak (Headmaster of MTsN 1 Pati)
