|
|
|||
|
|
|||
| นิตยสาร สารคดี: ฉบับที่ ๒๒๓ เดือนกันยายน ๒๕๔๖ | ISSN 0857-1538 | |||
|
|
|
|
|||
 |
|
"Pondok" in Arabic actually means a shelter, but the word as commonly used today refers to a center for Islamic education which also serves as the residence of those seeking education. Dated back hundreds of years, early pondoks in Thailand started off small, with around 20-30 students, to serve people in the village or immediate communities who wished to study Islam. Village men of high virtue and religious eloquence would be invited to be "Alim" or teachers. There was no set curriculum, tests or time limits, as the purpose of attending pondok was not to graduate and leave to find a good job, but rather to immerse in a life-long study of Islam, learn the essence of the Koran and lead a moral Muslim life. Many pondoks have over time transformed into pondok schools, primarily as a consequence of successive Thai government's attempts to formalize and integrate pondoks into the Thai educational system. |
|
 |
Pondok schools can futher be divided into two types. Around 75% of pondok schools nowadays offer both Islamic education and Thai formal state education. Students in these schools have greater career opportunities after school but are also more likely to be influenced by material ambitions, in breach of traditional Muslim values. Some Muslim parents thus prefer to send their children to the remaining 25% of pondok schools which focus on Islamic education only. Because they board at the school and have more time to devote to Islamic studies, the students can better practice the Allah's teachings by observing strict daily routines and learning from their peers. Upon graduating, the students are granted a diploma which can be used for further religious studies abroad. | ||
 |
Still some Muslims feel Islamic education according to prescribed curriculums in either type of pondok schools too restrictive and inconsistent with Islam's life-long learning philosophy. Further they feel classroom education cannot adequately stem the tide of materialism which does not spare even the students of pondok schools. As a result, traditional pondoks still exist in their original form, unaffected by the change of time or state regulations... |
||
 |
In Pondok Dalo, the place is filled with sacredness. The magical sound of Muslim prayers permeates the cool air. 500 male Muslims of all ages from all over Thailand congregate here, each with a clear sense of purpose. According to one student, his time here was intended to practice his mind to be calm and able to resist material temptations. When ready, he will return to his community to do social development work. Though he lives ascetically at the pondok, "my every breath is full of contentment", said the student. "Before studying here, some of us were already good, some were bad. But by the time we leave pondok, all of us will be virtuous people." |