Golkar pushes LPDP funding to flow proportionally to pesantren graduates

Golkar Party pushes for LPDP funding to flow proportionally to pesantren graduates. Jakarta — The Golkar Party is pushing for the education scholarship funds allocated by Lembaga Pengelola Dana Pendidikan (LPDP) to flow proportionally to graduates of pesantren. Golkar’s Chairman Bahlil Lahadalia, when interviewed in Sukabumi, West Java, on Sunday, said that LPDP funds have not yet reached pesantren graduates evenly. He admitted that he subscribes to the ‘mazhab’ that schooling does not guarantee quality; what guarantees quality is the individual themselves. ‘Because it is not certain that the good schools nowadays, the general public ones, are of higher quality than pesantren. Not necessarily,’ he said. He believes that male and female santri also possess high quality. He urged that santri be given the same opportunities. ‘The opportunities should be provided. Don’t set as a condition that you must have an English TOEFL of 700 or 800. That is only for the rich,’ he said. Therefore, Golkar will strive for LPDP funds to also be proportionally allocated to pesantren graduates. ‘We will ask, via the Golkar Party faction (DPR RI) in order to be given a proportional share to these pesantren and their santri,’ he said. Today, Golkar held a Silaturahmi and Ramadan Safari event at the Azzainiyyah pesantren in Nagrog, Sukabumi, West Java. Chairman of Golkar Board of Patrons Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita, Secretary General Muhammad Sarmuji, and Treasurer Sari Yuliati attended with Golkar DPP officials.