The PKB DPR Faction Urges The Government To Immediately Ratify The Directorate General Of Islamic Boarding Schools

An-Nahla Islamic Boarding School in Lhokseumawe, Aceh. (Special)

Chairman of the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Jazilul Fawaid, urged the government, especially the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) to immediately ratify the establishment of the Directorate General (Ditjen) of Islamic Boarding Schools.

According to Jazilul, the formation of the Directorate General of Islamic Boarding Schools has become a necessity amidst the increasing role of pesantren in education, community empowerment, and strengthening national character.

"Pesantren is a typical Indonesian educational institution that has a big contribution to national development. There should be a special Directorate General who regulates and manages pesantren in a more focused and just manner," Jazilul told reporters, Friday, Friday, October 17.

The Boarding School Directorate is proposed to upgrade its status to the Directorate General, in order to strengthen the authority and institutional capacity in fostering pesantren in the country.

Jazilul explained that so far the pesantren affairs are still under the Directorate General of Early Education and Islamic Boarding Schools (PD Pontren) which are part of the Directorate General of Islamic Education (Pendis). With the increasing number of Islamic boarding schools and the various challenges faced, according to Jazilul, it is time for pesantren to have independent work units at echelon I level.

"Ditjen Pesantren dibutuhkan agar tata kelola, pembiayaan, dan pembangunan sarana prasarana pesantren bisa berjalan lebih efektif dan akuntabel. Apalagi sudah ada UU Pesantren yang menjadi dasar hukumnya," jelasnya.

The former deputy chairman of the Indonesian People's Consultative Assembly also hopes that the existence of the Directorate General of Islamic Boarding Schools will become a form of state recognition of the existence and contribution of Islamic boarding schools in producing a generation of people who are moral, moderate, and love for the homeland.

So far, pesantren have played a big role without demanding much. Now is the time for the state to be fully present, with strong institutions and side policies," said Jazilul.

Jazilul stated that the PKB faction in the DPR is ready to encourage the steps of legislation and the budget needed to realize the formation of the Directorate General of Islamic Boarding Schools. He reminded the Ministry of Religion not to delay the process of ratifying the Directorate General of Islamic Boarding Schools.

"If the government is serious about the commitment to strengthening pesantren, then the Directorate General of Islamic Boarding Schools must be ratified immediately. This is not just a political demand, but a national strategic need," he concluded.