Gus Rozin Affirms State Funding for Pesantren is Obligation; Kiai Tebuireng Offers Support

KH Abdul Ghofar Rozin, also known as Gus Rozin, has reiterated the argument that state funding for Islamic boarding schools, or pesantren, is a constitutional responsibility. Speaking at a judicial review hearing for Law Number 18 of 2019 concerning Pesantren at the Constitutional Court, Gus Rozin presented written arguments reinforcing the position of the Majelis Masyayikh (Council of Pesantren Leaders).

"We are trying to convince, first, that the presence of state funding for pesantren is, once again, the state's constitutional responsibility towards pesantren," Gus Rozin stated after the hearing. He explained that once pesantren are recognized as integral to the national education system, the state inherently assumes a constitutional duty to provide financial support.

Gus Rozin further clarified that this financial support should not be misconstrued as state intervention. He pointed to the Pesantren Law itself, which he argued, safeguards the unique characteristics, traditions, and independence of individual pesantren. The law, he maintained, ensures that the autonomy of these institutions remains protected.

He also elaborated on two key phrases within Article 48 of the Pesantren Law: "assisting the funding of pesantren operations" and "in accordance with the state's financial capacity." Gus Rozin described these phrases as an interconnected whole, where the latter phrase is a direct consequence of the former. This framing underscores the legal basis for state financial involvement while acknowledging fiscal realities.

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We are trying to convince, first, that the presence of state funding for pesantren is, once again, the state's constitutional responsibility towards pesantren.