A Brief Overview: Breaking of Islamic Tradition of Education in Malaya

Abstract

Ozet Bu makalede, Malaya’da Musluman Malay toplumunda onemli bir egitim kurumu olarak islev goren ve Kur’an Okullari veya Kur’an Siniflari adiyla bilinen geleneksel dini egitim kurumlari ile Ingiliz somurge yoneticilerinin inisitayif ile hayata gecirilen Malay Okullari arasindaki iliski ele alinmaktadir. 19. yuzyil ilk yarisindan itibaren gerek Thomas Stamford Raffles, Frank Swettenham ve Richard J. Wilkinson gibi yoneticilerin bireysel inisiyatifleri, gerekse somurge yonetiminin egitim politikasi vasitasiyla hayata gecirilen Malay Okullari, geleneksel egitim kurumlarinin donusumunu hedeflemesi dolayisiyla Malay toplumu genelinde dikkat cekici sosyo-kulturel degisimlerin hazirlayicisi oldugu gorulur. Bir sosyal muhendislik cabasi olarak da degerlendirilebilecek olan geleneksel Malay egitim sistemi cesitli boyutlari ile ele alinmaktadir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Kur’an okullari/siniflari, Malay dili, Thomas Stamford Raffles. Abstract This article attempts to explore the relationship between Qur’an schools or classes and vernacular Malay schools, as also the metamorphosis of the native educational system into a modern rational institution. This transformation process initially commenced as a personal initiative of some British administrators such as Thomas Stamford Raffles and R. J. Wilkinson, and eventually led to an overhaul of the existing educational system into an organized secular format by the authorities of the British colonial administration around the second part of the 19th century. The rational basis of the establishment of Qur’an schools or classes was a direct impact of being a Muslim community. After accepting Islam as the ‘national religion’, Malays initially adopted the Arabic alphabet as their writing script in a common cultural and religious process experienced in almost all Islamic communities around the world. Since Islam is regarded as the source for acquiring practical knowledge in daily community life, Malays established Qur’an schools in order to educate their future generations. In the process, the implementation of this system of education created its own tradition and was internalised within the community. However, the arrival of the British as colonialists altered the scenario somewhat. They were regarded as catalysts in the transformation of Malay society, spearheading their thrust first by making inroads into the existing system of education.