Indonesian Pesantren: The Need of New Civil Society

As educational institutions, Pesantren existed and took root in Indonesian society long before the Dutch Colonial Government introduced school education institutions. At the beginning of its appearance, this institution was oriented solely to religious interests. But in the modern era that prioritizes specialization in expertise, pesantren is faced with dilemma problems. On the one hand, it follows changes according to society's needs in the mainstream education system developed by the government. On the other hand, it desires to maintain his indigenous identity. This paper describes how pesantren, without leaving their original identity, modernize themselves to respond to society's demands, especially in terms of development of science and technology relating with the needs of work and ownership of formal diplomas.