Visited By Nadiem, NU Joined The Ministry Of Education And Culture's POP Again

Minister of Education and Culture Nadiem Makarim visited the office of the Nahdlatul Ulama Board of Directors (PBNU). (Photo: Diah Ayu Wardani / VOI)

JAKARTA - Minister of Education and Culture (Mendikbud) Nadiem Makarim visited the office of the Nahdlatul Ulama Executive Board (PBNU) in Central Jakarta. Nadiem was greeted by Rais Aam PBNU Yahya Cholik Staquf.

Nadiem said that he came to PBNU to discuss the evaluation of the Mobilizing Organization Program (POP), which had a problem because a number of organizations resigned from implementing POP, including NU.

"We discussed how to align education in Indonesia. We got a lot of ideas about how we can improve POP and our various initiatives in the future," said Nadiem at the location, Wednesday, August 12.

Nadiem said that from the meeting, PBNU decided to re-join POP. This program is planned to be implemented in January 2021.

With a note, the Ministry of Education and Culture ensures that the time and preparation for the COVID-19 pandemic can be done better, based on input from community and educational organizations such as the PBNU.

"A big thank you to the big family of PBNU and Rais A'am who have given their support and have decided to return to participate in the POP program starting January 2021," said Nadiem.

Meanwhile, Rais Aam PBNU Yahya Cholik Staquf emphasized that his party would continue to cooperate by becoming the implementer of POP. Because, according to him, the program is a strategic policy related to student education.

"Many things have been discussed together and there are many plans for cooperation between the Ministry of Education and Culture and NU and we will continue to follow it up. NU must continue to be involved and must not withdraw from being involved in this world of education," said Yahya.

As previously reported, POP was launched as part of the fourth episode of independent learning policy on March 10, 2020. The program is designed to encourage the creation of driving schools by empowering the community through government support.

This is done by improving the quality of teachers and principals based on training models that can effectively improve the quality of the learning process and student learning outcomes.

This POP polemic emerged when Commission X DPR RI Syaiful Huda (PKB) assessed that a number of large companies such as the Putera Sampoerna Foundation and the Bhakti Tanoto Foundation also received the funds.

This question also motivated PGRI, Muhammadiyah, and LP Ma'arif NU to resign from implementing POP. NU considered that the membership criteria were unclear and worried that there would be a conflict of interest in POP.

Until finally, Nadiem apologized to Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Muhammadiyah, and PGRI regarding this polemic and asked the three institutions to rejoin POP.