Rangkayo Syaikhah Rahmah El Yunusiyyah: A Non-formal Education Reformer from West Sumatera

Abstract

Who has not heard of Rahmah El Yunussiyah, a non-formal education figure from West Sumatra? Rahmah El Yunussiyah felt compelled to rise and break through the barriers set during her time as she witnessed what the women underwent. Women were only responsible for cooking, washing, and doing other household chores. If we look at the nature of Rahmah El-Yunusiah's thoughts on education, it departs from the equality of rights between women and men in obtaining knowledge.  In a family, a woman is by nature the first and foremost teacher for her children. What will happen to future generations if a mother's ability to learn is limited? As a mother or a mother-to-be, it is not only knowledge that every mother must have, but also daily skills such as cooking, sewing, weaving, etc. These skills can be observed from the curriculum used in Diniyah Puteri School, the life of Rafi'ah (the mother of Rahmah El Yunusiyyah), and Rahmah's life and concepts of thought. As a result, the researcher can extract numerous key elements from Rahmah El Yunusiyyah's concept of education thought and movement, including 1) women and education (gender); 2) the role of family education; 3) lifelong education; and 4) autonomy in the management and the curriculum. All these essential points will be explained further in this article.