Jokowi Appoints Bangka Belitung As Center For Confucian Education Development

Governor of the Bangka Belitung Islands Erzaldi Rosman Djohan (right). (ANTARA/HO-Diskominfo Babel)

BABEL - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) appointed the Bangka Belitung Islands (Babel) as the center for the development of Confucian education. This was conveyed by the Governor of Bangka Belitung, Erzaldi Rosman Djohan.

He said Jokowi chose Bangka Belitung because it has the highest religious harmonization in Indonesia.

"President Jokowi appointing Bangka Belitung as a Confucian education center is no longer an encouragement, but a necessity," said Erzaldi in Pangkalpinang, Wednesday, April 13.

He said Jokowi conveyed that Babel was appointed to be the center for the development of Confucian education, especially to develop the Indonesian Confucian High School in the Province of Babel.

"The day before Chinese New Year, we together with the administrators of the Indonesian Confucian Religious High Council (Matakin) went to the President and he asked for the establishment of the Confucian College of Science in Bangka Belitung," he said.

According to him, the plan is for two locations to be donated to build this school, namely in the 4.5 hectares area of Tanjung Bunga and Kejora. "We pray together, hopefully, next year the 100th year, it should be marked by building the Indonesian Confucian College of Science in Bangka Belitung," he said.

Matakin administrator Budi Santoso said that this program is also in line with the number of Confucian religious educators who are still relatively few, but the need is quite high for each school. Not to mention, the adherents of the Confucian religion in Bangka Belitung are also quite a lot.

"There are so many requests for Confucian teachers, but there are still very few teaching staff. How do we want to create Confucian religious teachers, while there are no high schools available," he said.