Recalibrating تَرْبِيَة (tarbiya) and social justice in the face of internationalisation. The case of inclusion in Indonesian Muslim education

Abstract

ABSTRACT What is the meaning of inclusive education in Indonesian Muslim Schools? Relatively little is known outside of the country itself about the effect of adopting international curricula such as Cambridge Assessment and their equivalents? This domestic-facing internationalisation is worth considering as a signifier of inclusive education and raises the question of identity: Islamic, Indonesian and global – what does it mean to be included in the country as a citizen and to have accessible, quality education? How does it impact upon تَرْبِيَة (tarbiya); an educational term meaning active student participation in their own education, the experience of flourishing and lifelong learning? What is Indonesia trying to achieve? It would be a simple truism to conclude that an inclusionary strategy based on adopting a Western system has been beyond the reach of families who cannot afford to send their children to private schools who look favourably on international curricula. This contribution takes a critical look at the issue of social justice and its effect upon تَرْبِيَة (tarbiya) in the Indonesian education ecosystem. Experiences of Muslim parts of this system suggest multiple signifiers of inclusive education that might translate to global debates in other educational ecosystems.