REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, YOGYAKARTA - Ministry of Religious Affair will develop eight prestigious madrasa (Islamic schools -Ed) in 2013 to educate students on science, religion, as well as local characters of Yogyakarta.
The program will be implemented in six madrasas as a pilot project. The ministry will cooperate with a state university to prepare curriculum management, teaching, administration, and infrastructure for five years.
"Once the output is good, we will implement the program to other madrasas," Head of Education Department at the Branch Office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Noor Hamid, said on Monday.
The six madrasa are Madrasah Aliyah Negri (MAN) I Yogyakarta, MAN 3 Yogyakarta, Madrasah Tsanawiyah (MTs) 2 Yogyakarta, MTs Bantul, Madrasah Ibtidaiyah Negri (MIN) Jejeran Bantul and MIN Tempel Sleman. "The concept is similar with boarding school system," he said.
The superior madrasa is expected to educate inteligent generation with strong character and faith. About 70 percent of the graduates are expected to be accepted at state universities.