The Government Disburses IDR 250 Billion For The Improvement Of Islamic Boarding School Human Resources

Illustration of the Darussalam Blokagung Islamic boarding school student, Banyuwangi, East Java, returning home on vacation in April 2022. (Between-Fikri Y)

JAKARTA - The government will allocate IDR 250 billion for improving the quality of Islamic boarding schools' human resources (HR) in 2023. All of its budgets are prepared through the Endowment Fund for Islamic Boarding Schools sourced from the Eternal Fund for Education. This budget allocation is discussed together in a coordination meeting to accelerate the use of Islamic Boarding School Abadi Funds between the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) and the Ministry of Finance Education Management Institution (LPDP) of the Ministry of Finance (Kemenkeu) in Jakarta, Tuesday 7 March. "On the one hand, this Abadi Islamic Boarding School Fund is a mandate from Law Number 18 of 2019 concerning Islamic Boarding Schools and Presidential Regulation Number 82 of 2021 concerning Funding for the Implementation of Islamic Boarding Schools. On the other hand, the Islamic Boarding Schools have also been waiting for when this Abadi Islamic Boarding School Fund can be realized," said Secretary General of the Ministry of Religion Nizar Ali, quoted by Antara. Director General of Islamic Education of the Ministry of Religion Muhammad Ali Ramdhani Islamic Education 2023 will fully be allocated for the financing of title or non-degree scholarships, for S1, S2, and S3 levels, both at home and abroad for Islamic boarding schools.

He emphasized that the Abadi Islamic Boarding School Fund is sourced from the Eternal Education Fund, so its allocation is only for the function of education. The Eternal Islamic Boarding School Fund should not be used for other purposes such as da'wah or community empowerment, as is the function carried out by pesantren so far. "Even for implementation support or management it is not allowed, because the rules are like that," said Dhani. Meanwhile, LPDP Scholarship Director Dwi Sularso welcomed and supported the acceleration of the use of the Abadi Islamic Boarding School Fund.

The team from the Ministry of Religion and the LPDP will discuss technical steps, especially by completing the required documents, so that special scholarships for Islamic boarding schools can be opened immediately in 2023. "The Ministry of Religion certainly better understands what needs are needed by pesantren. Things that lead to the need to prepare a superior and reliable Indonesian generation, who have a national commitment, of course we will fully support, including from pesantren residents," said Dwi Sularso.