Catholic schools and Islamic lesson in Blitar

The articles :

·         Diocese nixes Islamic teaching in Catholic schools

·         Religious affairs office tells schools to close

·         Catholic schools in Blitar agree to provide Islamic lessons

 

Those three articles are discussing about controvertion Catholic schools and local office of the Religious Affairs Ministry in Blitar. They ask Catholic schools to provide Islamic lesson for Moslem students based on Government Regulation No. 55/2007 on religious teachings, which is in turn based on Law No. 20/2003. If the Catholic school doesn’t allowing the rule then the local office of the Religious Affairs Ministry will close the school.

But, Yohanes Gabriel Foundation as the one of the owners of Catholic schools in Blitar disagree with the rule to provide Islamic lesson in their school because they say that the students and also parents was agreed with the educational system of Catholic schools before and it’s also According to the vicar-general, Article 55 (1) of Law No. 20/2003 on the national education system said that Catholic schools were entitled to implement a curriculum following their own religious, social and cultural norms.

Talking about this problem, I disagree with the local office of the Religious Affairs Ministry that force the Catholic schools to provide Islamic lesson to make the Muslim students to be able to read and write Al-Qur’an verses. Because it should be the responsible of each parent to choose the school that appropriate with the background of their child. So if  they agree to entering the schools with different background for their child, they should take the risk if their children doesn’t get the religion lesson based on their own religion.

It will be make the local office of the Religious Affairs Ministry in Blitar looks discriminate the other religion. Beside that, the people who don’t like with Islam will use this situation to make the pride of Islam or Moslem down in the other religion. Because as we have known, Islam is dominate Indonesian so if the government make a distance for each religion, they will make the other religion discriminated.

That’s all my opinion for the problem in my own city, Blitar. The conclusion is I disagree with the rule that look forcing and blaming the Catholic schools because it should be the responsible of each parents to guide and choose the best schools for their children. Thank you =)

Sources :

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/01/25/religious-affairs-office-tells-schools-close.html

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/01/18/diocese-nixes-islamic-teaching-catholic-schools.html

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/01/17/catholic-schools-blitar-agree-provide-islamic-lessons.html