To be self-sufficient is a goal of Indonesian education. Pesantren (Islamic boarding schools) is an educational institution seeking to embody the self-sufficiency through a full day system. To find out whether or not the system succeeds, a doctoral program student of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY) Darmani conducted research at Pondok Pesantren Wali Songo Ngabar Ponorogo. The research revealed reasons why the pesantren successfully educate students to be autonomous.

“The self-sufficiency emerges from a learning process, habituation, exemplary, and values at the pesantren. Alumni of the Pondok Pesantren Wali Songo Ngabar Ponorogo stated told that four aspects bring huge impacts on students’ self-sufficiency,” stated Darmani at his dissertation defense on Saturday (13/10) at Amphitheater of Graduate School of UMY.

Besides, several factors influencing the self-sufficiency were willingness to adapt to a new environment, pesantren environment, and divine values. “Spiritual values gained at the pesantren become an asset for alumni to live their life and the values will eventually bear new values such as vigor, initiation, confidence, responsibility, and life sincerity,” mentioned Darmani.

At the end of his defense, Darmani recommended that all pesantren in Indonesia should always provide Islamic values for the alumni. For instance, the alumni may establish a group of alumni so that pesantren parties know where they are after graduating. Darmani believed that knowledge obtained by pesantren students is tested in their lufe.

“All values got during students’ study at pesantren are beneficial assets when they leave the school,” emphasized Darmani.