Deputy Minister of Basic and Secondary Education: Government Does Not Distinguish Between Private and Public Schools

Mataram (ANTARA) - Deputy Minister of Basic and Secondary Education (Wamendikdasmen) Fajar Riza Ul Haq has affirmed that the government does not differentiate between private and public schools. “I deliberately came first to this private school, SD Dwijendra, to show that the government stands above all groups and segments of society,” he said during his inspection of teaching and learning activities at SD Dwijendra in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), on Monday. He emphasised the government’s commitment to equitable quality and facilities between private and public schools. “The government is giving serious attention to schools,” Fajar stressed. During his inspection, the Deputy Minister directly checked the learning activities of SD Dwijendra students using Digital Interactive Boards (PID). This assistance, provided directly by the central government to schools, aims to make it easier for teachers to deliver lesson materials in a more engaging and interactive manner. “I directly checked the use of Digital Interactive Boards to make the children’s learning process more engaging. Alhamdulillah, the students at SD Dwijendra are very enthusiastic about learning. I see that their literacy skills are better, and their ability to understand texts has improved,” Fajar said. “I deliberately came to check preparations for the TKA, which will be held on 20 April. We hope that with the Digital Interactive Boards, we can further enhance our children’s academic abilities,” he added. Meanwhile, Made Slamet, Chairman of the Dharma Laksana Foundation under which SD Dwijendra operates, who received the Deputy Minister’s visit directly, expressed appreciation to Wamendikdasmen for inspecting SD Dwijendra. “We thank Mr. Deputy Minister for visiting our school. He checked the TKA preparations earlier, and he was quite satisfied because we are truly utilising the government assistance as intended,” he said. As a member of Commission V of the NTB DPRD, he assessed that the Deputy Minister’s visit demonstrates the government’s non-discriminatory attention to private and public schools. He hopes that the spirit from the central government can be followed at the local level.