PERAN ZENDING DALAM PENDIDIKAN DIBUMI PUTERA KEDIRI PADA TAHUN 1916 -1925

Abstrak

This study aims to analyze the history of indigenous education in Kediri during the Dutch colonial period, examine the role of missionary organizations (zending) in indigenous education in Kediri from 1916 to 1925, identify the forms and methods of education introduced by the missionaries, and analyze the relationship between the missionaries, the colonial government, and indigenous society. This research employed a qualitative method with a historical approach. Data were collected through observation, interviews, documentation, and literature studies, while data analysis was conducted through the stages of heuristics, source criticism, interpretation, and historiography. The results show that educational opportunities for indigenous people in Kediri during the colonial period were still limited and discriminatory, creating opportunities for missionary organizations to expand access to education. The missionaries contributed by establishing schools, providing teachers, and introducing basic education in reading, writing, and arithmetic combined with moral and Christian religious instruction. The forms of education included both formal and non-formal education, employing teaching methods that integrated Western educational systems with local approaches. The relationship between the missionaries and the colonial government was mutually beneficial, as the missionaries supported the implementation of colonial educational policies. Meanwhile, indigenous society showed diverse responses, ranging from acceptance due to the educational benefits received to rejection because of concerns about religious and cultural influences from the West. This study concludes that missionary organizations played an important role in the development of indigenous education in Kediri between 1916 and 1925, serving not only as instruments for the spread of Christianity but also as agents of social change that contributed to improving literacy and expanding educational opportunities for indigenous communities