The Historical Roots of Islamic Education Integration: A Policy Analysis of the Independence Revolution Era and Its Relevance to the Modern National Education System

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the juridical-constitutional position, institutional transformation, and policy dynamics of Islamic Education in Indonesia during the early independence era (1945–1950), as well as to formulate its relevance to the modern National Education System (Sisdiknas). Utilizing a qualitative library research method with a historical and policy analysis approach, this study examines the post-colonial structural transition. The results indicate that the establishment of the Ministry of Religious Affairs on January 3, 1946, acted as a bureaucratic catalyst that dismantled the Dutch colonial educational dualism by standardizing curricula and integrating general sciences into madrasahs. Constitutional legitimacy derived from the First Principle of Pancasila and Article 31 of the 1945 Constitution culminated in the enactment of Law No. 4 of 1950, which formally guaranteed the right to religious education in public schools. Amidst the Dutch Military Aggressions I and II, Islamic educational institutions particularly pondok pesantrens demonstrated high social resilience through a dual-function paradigm as centers for religious learning (tafaqquh fiddin) and decentralized guerrilla defense bases driven by community self-reliance (swadaya). This study concludes that the revolution-era policies laid the foundation for national integration by synthesizing religious and civic values. Its relevance to modern Sisdiknas reinforces that Islamic education is not merely a religious subsystem, but a primary pillar in forging a national character that is both moderate and adaptive to contemporary developments.