At Purworejo Islamic Boarding School, Ganjar Promises IDR 4 Trillion Budget For Intensive Religious Teachers

Presidential Candidate Ganjar Pranowo during a stay at Ponpes An Nawawi Berjan, Purworejo Regency, Sunday (31/12/2023). (ANTARA/HO-Team Media Ganjar Pranowo)

JAKARTA - Candidate pair number 3 Ganjar Pranowo-Mahfud MD stated that they are ready to budget IDR 4 trillion for incentives for Koran teachers and non-formal religious teachers throughout Indonesia if they win the 2024 Pilres.

This was conveyed by Ganjar while staying in touch at the An Nawawi Berjan Islamic Boarding School (Ponpes), Purworejo Regency, Sunday, December 31.

"We have launched when Mr. Mahfud was in Sabang, for religious teachers and Koran teachers to get incentives. Yesterday, the term was that Koran teachers got salaries," he said in a written statement, Sunday, December 31, was confiscated by Antara.

The PDI-P politician admitted that he had no trouble running the program because he had initiated a similar program while serving as Governor of Central Java.

"At that time I was with Gus Yasin (Deputy Governor of Central Java Taj Yasin Maimoen, we had this practice in Central Java," he said.

Not only political promises, Ganjar has even calculated the budget needs that will be used for the incentive program for Koran teachers and religious teachers, which is around Rp. 4 trillion.

"We calculate around Rp. 4 trillion if we use the Central Java pattern. Hopefully this can work," he said.

According to him, providing incentives to salaries and other religious teachers is important because behind their persistence in teaching there is a responsibility to provide religious knowledge and character for the younger generation.

"Because apart from teaching religion, I entrust it to be taught character. If religious knowledge is good and character is good, the social relationship becomes good so that these children when they meet different religions, groups, and ethnicities, they feel all of them are brothers," he said.

The program carried by the Ganjar-Mahfud presidential candidate pair received appreciation from the cleric and caretaker of the Islamic boarding school, one of which was Kiai Haji Yasin Nawawi, caretaker of the An Nur Bantul Islamic Boarding School, Yogyakarta.

According to him, Ganjar Pranowo is the only presidential candidate who cares about education, especially Islamic boarding schools and is proven by the existence of an incentive program for Koran teachers and other religious teachers.

"Yes, it is a very positive program. However, the Koran teachers in the village are unconditional fighters, creating a generation that is rakhaqul karimah. It would be extraordinary if Pak Ganjar became president and paid attention to them," he said.

The incentive program for Koran teachers and religious teachers, he continued, was not spontaneous this time but had been practiced while leading Central Java.

"Even though I am from Yogyakarta, I have followed him since he became governor of Central Java. He is also close to scholars and Islamic boarding schools," he concluded.