PARENTS' TENDENCY TO SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO ISLAMIC-BASED ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS: A CASE STUDY IN NANGGULAN, KULON PROGO

Abstract

The growing interest of parents in sending their children to Islamic elementary schools has become a significant issue in the context of basic education in Indonesia. This is influenced not only by academic aspects but also by parents' need for character education and religious values, which are perceived as more secure in Islamic educational institutions. The background to this research is based on the growing tendency of society to be more selective in choosing educational institutions for their children, particularly considering the role of schools in shaping religious and social character. The purpose of this study is to describe the factors behind parents' choice to send their children to Islamic-based elementary schools, to understand parents' perceptions and expectations regarding the quality of education provided, and to analyze the implications of these tendencies for the development patterns of elementary schools in the future. The research method used was a case study with a descriptive qualitative approach. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with parents and observations at the Islamic Elementary School selected as the research location, as well as a review of documents related to school policies and the educational institution's profile. Data analysis was conducted using the interactive technique of Milles & Huberman, consisting of data reduction, data presentation, and inductive conclusion drawing. The results of this study indicate that the reasons parents send their children to favorite private Islamic-based elementary schools in Nanggulan District, especially Generasi Mulia Integrated Islamic Elementary School, are due to factors such as good Islamic religious education, quality of learning, teacher competence, distance from the school, school facilities, a conducive learning environment, achievement, school fees, and the school's image. Therefore, the dominant main motive is value-oriented rationality (wertrational), where the decision reflects the desire to shape children into an intelligent and Islamic-moral generation.