The Development of Islamic Boarding School-Based Higher Education System (Ma'had 'Aly) in Indonesia

This study was conducted to analyse the understanding of policymakers about the Islamic boarding school-based education system (henceforth Ma’had Aly), its design of the development, and its typology as well as model of the development of private Islamic religious institution in North Sumatera. This research was done using a multisite qualitative-interactive research method. The data analysis used the theory initiated by Miles and Huberman, Taylor and Bogdan, McMillan, and Schumacher. The results of this study indicate that first; the understanding of policymakers of private Islamic religious college based on Islamic boarding schools (or pesantren) is very adequate at the conceptual and operational levels. This understanding is based on the experience and intellectualism of the leadership in managing the institution. Second, the development design of private Islamic religious college based on Islamic boarding schools is relatively the same, and it tends to adopt the design of pesantren colleges rather than colleges. Third, the typology or model of private Islamic religious colleges based on Islamic boarding schools in North Sumatra is relatively the same. The system built is based on the convergence design of Salaf and Khalaf, as Dofier mentioned.