DPR Supports The Establishment Of Director General Of Islamic Boarding Schools In The Aftermath Of Al Khoziny Tragedy

Al Khoziny Islamic Boarding School (Ponpes) in Buduran District, Sidoarjo collapsed (doc BPNB)

JAKARTA The tragedy of the collapse of one of the buildings at the Al Khoziny Islamic Boarding School (Ponpes), Sidoarjo, is a momentum for the Indonesian House of Representatives to encourage institutional reshuffle at the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag). Deputy Chairman of Commission VIII DPR RI, Singgih Januratmoko, proposed that the Boarding School Directorate under the Ministry of Religion be upgraded to become a Directorate General (Ditjen) specifically to strengthen guidance and supervision.

Singgih assessed that the formation of this new institution was very urgent considering the large number and historical role of pesantren in Indonesia.

"In Indonesia there are around 5 million students and more than 42 thousand active Islamic boarding schools. If you become a Directorate General, this institution will be more empowered in protecting, fostering, and advancing pesantren," Singgih told reporters, Thursday (16/10).

The tragedy in Sidoarjo, according to Singgih, is a strong warning of vulnerabilities in pesantren governance and infrastructure. Quality improvement, building standards, and technical supervision are a must so that similar incidents do not happen again.

"Pesantren memiliki root sejarah yang kuat dan menjadi batung pembentukan karakter bangsa. Negara harus hadir memberi dukungan nyata," katanya.

Directorate General Of Islamic Boarding Schools: Solutions For Equitable And Transparency Funds

The Golkar legislator from the Central Java V electoral district assessed that the existence of the Directorate General of Islamic Boarding Schools would provide a more equal position for Islamic educational institutions in the Ministry of Religion structure. This allows building technical assistance, training, and audit programs to be channeled more effectively and transparently.

"If there is a special Directorate General, every pesantren can get direct access to experts, building inspections, and repair funds that are transparent and on target," he explained.

Singgih also highlighted the imbalance in the distribution of funds for Islamic boarding schools, especially from the Abadi Islamic Boarding School Fund which was managed with the LPDP. According to him, the funds have been focused more on scholarships, while the allocation for physical development and rehabilitation is still very small.

He revealed that the yield from the Endowment Fund for Education and Islamic Boarding Schools in 2023 reached Rp9.3 trillion, but only around Rp250 billion was channeled to Islamic boarding schools.

"In fact, ideally, Rp900 billion needs to be allocated to 5 million students so that the benefits are wider, not only for scholarships, but also for the construction and maintenance of facilities," he said.

Encourage The Quality Of Islamic Boarding School Human Resources

In addition to institutional aspects and funding, Singgih assessed that strengthening pesantren human resources was also very urgent. He reminded that pesantren is the original face of Indonesian Islamic education, but the government's attention to it is still not balanced.

"There are still many Islamic boarding schools that are managed independently with limited facilities, minimal technology, and teachers who have not been certified. The Ministry of Religion's Balitbang data shows that more than 60 percent of teachers in Islamic boarding schools have not yet held undergraduate degrees," he explained.

Singgih emphasized that Law Number 18 of 2019 concerning Islamic Boarding Schools has provided a legal basis for the state to support pesantren. The formation of a special Directorate General, according to him, will not increase the burden on the Ministry of Religion, especially since the Hajj affairs have now been handled by the Ministry of Hajj, but will actually make pesantren development more focused and effective.