Apologize, Nadiem Ask NU And Muhammadiyah To Return To POP

Minister of Education and Culture Nadiem Makarim (Photo: Diah Ayu Wardani / VOI)

JAKARTA - Minister of Education and Culture (Mendikbud) Nadiem Makarim apologized to Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Muhammadiyah, and PGRI regarding the polemic of the Organizing Organizational Program (POP).

Through this apology, Nadiem asked the three organizations to rejoin POP. The three organizations came out regarding alleged interests because they included the Tanoto Foundation and the Putera Sampoerna Foundation in POP.

"I apologize for all the concerns that have arisen and hope that the leadership of NU, Muhammadiyah and PGRI figures are willing to continue to provide guidance in the process of implementing programs that we are sadadri with are still not perfect," said Nadiem in a statement on the Youtube account of the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture, Tuesday, July 28.

Without the support of these institutions, Nadiem admitted that the goal of creating quality education would be difficult to achieve. Nadiem then expressed his appreciation for the input from NU, Muhammadiyah and PGRI regarding POP.

"These three organizations have been instrumental in the world of education even long before this country was founded. Without their movement from Sabang to Merauke, the cultural ideals and mission of education in Indonesia would not have been formed," said Nadiem.

Nadiem emphasized that the Tanoto Foundation and the Putera Sampoerna Foundation would not use the APBN in implementing POP. Nadiem said that the two participants of the organization would independently fund POP activities.

Nadiem admitted that this decision was based on the results of a further evaluation of this policy after drawing protests from a number of parties.

"The Ministry of Education and Culture has agreed with the Tanoto Foundation and Putera Sampoerna that their participation in the Tikda Ministry of Education and Culture program will use a penny of funds from the State Budget," he said.

As is well known, POP was launched as part of the fourth episode of free 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.

Then, this POP polemic emerged when Commission X DPR RI Syaiful Huda (PKB) assessed that there were irregularities in some of the 156 educational institutions and mass organizations that would later receive Ministry of Education and Culture grants from the State Budget.

He considered that a number of large companies such as the Putera Sampoerna Foundation and the Bhakti Tanoto Foundation also received the funds.

Member of Commission X of the House of Representatives (DPR) Ferdiansyah (Golkar Party) also questioned the track record of social organizations (mass organizations) that passed the POP selection. This question also motivated PGRI, Muhammadiyah, and LP Ma'arif NU to resign from the Movement Organization Program.