Families have a responsibility for the religious education of their children. This responsibility is a legal obligation of parents based on Islamic family law and Indonesian positive law. However, its implementation at the household level does not always conform to these normative standards. This study aims to examine the gap between parents' legal responsibility for their children's religious education and the empirical reality in Kulisusu, North Buton, Southeast Sulawesi, using emotional intelligence and student learning outcomes in Islamic Religious Education (PAI) as indicators of fulfillment of this obligation. This study uses a socio-legal approach, normatively reviewing provisions in Islamic family law and relevant legislation. Empirically, it analyzes quantitative data from 70 students at SMA Negeri 1 Kulisusu. The findings show that the mean emotional intelligence score is 64.67, classified as moderate, whereas the mean PAI achievement score is only 29.79, with 0% of students meeting the Minimum Mastery Criteria (KKM = 75). Simple linear regression yields a coefficient of β = −0.664 with p = 0.020 and R² = 0.077, indicating a statistically significant negative relationship, albeit with a small contribution to the variance in PAI learning outcomes. These results strongly suggest that families in Kulisusu have not optimally performed their religious educational function as required by family law norms. Accordingly, strengthening the family law framework is necessary through the reorientation of parental guidance programs at the Office of Religious Affairs (KUA), the integration of children’s religious education indicators into school-based religious instruction, and the development of local family resilience policies grounded in religious education.
Samrin et al. (Sat,) studied this question.