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Many education experts stated the quality of curriculum has to be improved to advance education. The other aspects, including teachers, facilities and infrastructure, learning materials and textbooks, assessment systems, learning environments, and so on, require enhancement as well. Nevertheless, some people say, on top of those things, the intention of learners remains paramount.

The second opinion not come from the education experts, however they spent their whole life in education field. Those are the preachers, the caretakers of Islamic boarding schools. Based on their views, basically, their students are first invited to study a small book, namely talim mutaalim.

The book teaches about the power of intention in seeking knowledge. No matter how complete the textbooks, facilities and infrastructure, curriculum, and even great teachers are, without true and sincere intentions, the learning would not be optimal. Eventually, the intent is considered to be the strength or door to success in every endeavor, especially in seeking knowledge.

In today's modern educational institutions, intention is referred as motivation, encouragement, or enthusiasm. Notwithstanding,  in Islamic boarding schools, generally, it is more determined and has to be appropriate. Learning is not limited to graduate and get a diploma for a job to earn money and degree alike. Such intentions are regarded insufficient and improper. It has to be based on a call to fulfill the command of God and curiosity.

To convince everyone for this view is barely easy. In fact, many boarding schools have proven  progress in turning their students into great scholars, leaders of congregation, and founders of Islamic boarding schools. Nowadays, there are many favourable Islamic boarding schools teaching their students foreign languages. It is normal for their students to speak Arabic and English, such as in Gontor, Ponorogo, some in Medan, Darul Hijrah in Banjarmasin, and many more.

They are flourishing skills in foreign languages, Arabic and English, not because of the conveniences,  great curriculum, sufficient teacher salaries, language laboratories, but because of strong, sincere and serious intentions, both from the teachers and students. On the other hand, many educational institutions have language laboratories, highly paid teachers, air-conditioned learning areas, including LCDs, and so on, unfortunately, english conversations are not sounded there. In spite of adequate educational facilities and infrastructure, including the quality of the curriculum and teachers, they result in unsatisfactory, as it is not based on the right intentions.

The following is a story about a prospective student, who wanted to study at Islamic boarding school. Adhering to the belief about how necessary intentions are, when he arrived, the kyai was not immediately welcomed and told to join studying. He must first be seen or tested regarding his seriousness to learn. The kyai did not summon him, however he left him alone for a few days and allowed him to stay there.

After some time, he was called, thought that the kyai had enabled him to take part in the congregation; He was delightful to hear that. Unfortunately, beyond his expectation, he was assigned to clean the kyai's horse stall, which had  been dirty for some time. For his firm intention, what the kyai ordered was executed, even it took  several days to complete.

Afterwards, he proudly reported for accomplishing the task given, presuming to be let to learn as the other old students. Unsurprisingly, he was offered with the new task, covering the land of his teacher to be planted in the following rainy season.

Based on the story, it was in the dry season. How heavy the job of hoeing the hard and large soil. For his fierce determination, the strenouos task was accomplished sincerely and patiently, although it was time consuming. Finishing the second order, he told his kyai, supposing to be summoned to study. Notwithstanding, He got the third, cutting down the thick thorny bamboo or barongan ori, located on the river bank, in the garden close to kyai's house. He said, it has to be cut down to prevent snakes come to it. This strenouos task was done perfectly as well.

In the end, following the three arduous tasks, he was permitted to studying in the boarding school. Every student would be examined preceeding the commencement of study to know how strong his intention. Surely, not all students would be treated as harshly as this one.

The student told in the story, who passed a tough tests from the kyai, ended up becoming a great kyai, known to be very pious, and  role model for other Islamic boarding schools. The lesson from the story remains intention has ultimate power to gain success. The key aspect in achieving success apparently does not lie in the curriculum, facilities and infrastructure or anything else, but is determined by true, sincere and earnest intention. Wallahu a'lam.