Pesantren Gontor: its educational reform and contribution to the creation of a prominent Santri network

This is a study of Pesantren Gontor, a modern Islamic boarding school that hascontributed significantly to the creation of a network of prominent santri in Indonesia.It is based on fieldwork conducted during the period of 20022004 and 2006 atPesantren Gontor itself, at various branches of this pesantren located in Java andPesantren Al-Amien in Madura. These pesantren, together with historical material onGontor and other pesantren, provide the basis for an examination of the important rolePesantren Gontor has played in its educational reform and its contribution to thenation of Indonesia.Pesantren Gontor is one of the most remarkable pesantren in Indonesia. It has nowdeveloped 14 campuses for male and female students and its alumni have establishedmore than 211 other separate pesantren in Indonesia that derive their inspiration fromGontor. Since its establishment in 1926 Gontor has produced more than 22,000alumni, who hold a wide variety of different positions including government officials,academics, politicians, religious and community leaders, and successful businessmen.This study examines Pesantren Gontors history and the Islamic educational contextin which it has developed. The study also examines the main characteristics of thepesantren and its distinctive organisational structure which this thesis has designatedas the Gontor Model. It focuses, in details, on the innovation and reform thatPesantren Gontor has undertaken in its educational system, including its curriculumand especially in the period of the Second Generation known as Era Pasca Trimurti(The Era After the Three Founders).Unlike many (traditional) pesantren that declined after the passing of their founders,Pesantren Gontor has continued to progress and develop and has seen a steadyexpansion of its campuses. Gontor's alumni, who are scattered all over the countryand in many parts of the world, have formed a unique network of prominent santriwith strong connections between them. The study concludes with an illustrativeexamination of the careers of some of Pesantren Gontors most prominent graduates