MUHAMMADIYAH.ID, SLEMAN –Muhammadiyah has gained local, national and international achievements in a field of education. Indeed, the movement is able to maintain its educational characteristics.

The aforementioned statement was declared by General Chairman of the Central Boar of Muhammadiyah Haedar Nashir at the opening of a National Meeting (Rakernas) of Office of Primary and Secondary Education of Muhammadiyah.

According to Haedar, Muhammadiyah should be able to preserve its educational identity so that the office needs to truly comprehend a concept of Muhammadiyah education.

He told that a Muhammadiyah founder K.H. Ahmad Dahlan initiated Muhammadiyah and established a modern school. He confronted a lot of deterrence. People thought that he adopted western culture, whereas Islamic (pesantren) education firmly existed.

“K.H. Ahmad Dahlan remained istiqomah to create education with a modern perspective. He promoted wholistic education, which people commonly understand it as integration between religious education and sciences,” explained Haedar at the opening conducted on Tuesday (5/9).

He conveyed that renewal became a foundation and philosophy in the development design of Muhammadiyah education.

“K.H. Dahlan, who did not learn western education, has developed beyond people in his era. This fact is essential since Muhammadiyah members and activists in various boards often overlook it,” asserted Haedar.

He also quoted a historian Kuntowijoyo who revealed that an educational system introduced by K.H. Ahmad Dahlan is an educational system which can reinforce faith, improve personality, and bring advancement.

Haedar inserted that faith, creed, and monotheism are included in contexts of ilahiyah (dealing with God), insaniah (related to humans), alamiah (connected with nature). Meanwhile, the personality molds characteristics of Muslims, al-akhlak karimah, but Muhammadiyah people should perform the al-akhlak karimah in each of their statement and action.