During Ramadan, Mataram Education Office Implements 60 Percent Of Religious Activities In Schools, Academics Reduced

Illustration - A number of children at SDN 1 Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara Province, left the school grounds during their return hours. BETWEEN/Nirkomala

MATARAM - Mataram City Education Office, West Nusa Tenggara Province, applies 60 percent of school hours during Ramadan 1444 Hijri is filled with religious activities and spiritual mental development. "During Ramadan, our school asked to increase religious activities and reduce academic learning hours by a ratio of 60-40 percent," said Head of the Mataram City Education Office (Disdik) Yusuf in Mataram, Antara, Friday, March 31. He said the policy does not mean that Disdik ignores academic learning, it's just that there is a reduction in the duration of learning of each academic subject. "The reduction was diverted to carry out various worship activities to increase the faith of taqwa during the month of Ramadan," he said. For example, by carrying out lightning Islamic boarding schools, practicing religious lectures to students who have potential, social service to orphanages, reading and deepening exercises of the Koran packaged in Koran schools, memorizing daily prayers and other taqwa faith activities. "That's just a small number of examples of activities during fasting at school, because there's much more to be done by schools," he said. In addition, Yusuf continued, all school programs must also be communicated to parents in order to provide support to their sons and daughters who participate. "For flash pesantren activities, from reports so far, only at SMPN 23 Mataram", he said. To regulate school activities during Ramadan 1444 Hijri, Disdik has distributed Circular Number: 400.3.1/88/Disdik/III/2023, regarding Activities Filling the Month of Ramadan 1444 Hijriah, to all principals of SD/SMP Negeri/Swasta schools throughout Mataram City. In the circular, Yusuf added, it is stated that non-Muslim students can adjust according to the conditions of each school. "Meanwhile, schools with religious characteristics other than Islam are also expected to adjust," he said.