Rethinking Compensation and Governance of Tok Guru in Pondok Education: A Role-Based Framework for Faith-Based Educational Policy and Social Development
Main Article Content
Abstract
Pondok educational institutions represent a longstanding form of Islamic education in southern Thailand, where Tok Guru serve as central figures in religious instruction, moral leadership, and community life. Despite their significant social roles, existing policy frameworks provide limited and uniform financial support that is not aligned with the complexity and scope of their responsibilities. This study employed an exploratory sequential mixed methods design to (1) examine the roles of Tok Guru in contributing to social development and (2) develop evidence-based policy proposals for improving remuneration and institutional management support. Qualitative data were collected through two focus group discussions involving 25 participants, comprising 10 key informants in the first phase and 15 experts in the second phase, while quantitative data were obtained from a stakeholder survey of 364 respondents in Pattani Province. The findings indicate that Tok Guru function as multidimensional social actors across education, youth development, peacebuilding, health promotion, community welfare, and community leadership, accompanied by consistently high levels of public trust and strong societal support for increased compensation and welfare. These findings reveal a structural misalignment between the social value of Tok Guru roles and existing policy mechanisms. In response, the study proposes a context-sensitive, role-based policy framework that aligns remuneration and institutional support with actual responsibilities, social impact, and local conditions, while preserving institutional autonomy. The study contributes to educational policy and development discourse by bridging Islamic education and equitable public support mechanisms, and offers transferable insights for faith-based education systems in comparable socio-cultural contexts.
Highlights
• Tok Guru function as multidimensional social actors in education, community leadership, peacebuilding, and social development.
• Existing compensation systems do not reflect multidimensional roles.
• A context-sensitive, role-based policy framework is proposed to strengthen equitable support for Pondok institutions and faith-based education.
Article Details
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Copyright: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
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