Minister of Basic and Secondary Education Receives Letter for President from NTT Student
Kupang, NTT (ANTARA) - Minister of Basic and Secondary Education (Mendikdasmen) Abdul Mu’ti received a letter for President Prabowo Subianto from Verona Keren Balol, a student at SMAN 3 Kalabahi, who conveyed her thanks for the improvement in her school’s conditions.
Minister Mu’ti appreciated Verona’s method of using art to express her gratitude.
“Without art, the heart becomes dead; without art, the world becomes bland. Someone once said that with knowledge everything becomes easy, and with art everything becomes beautiful,” said Minister Mu’ti in Kupang, Nusa Tenggara Timur Province (NTT), on Tuesday.
On that occasion, Verona stated that the letter was an expression of her gratitude to President Prabowo Subianto, who has improved her school’s conditions through the educational unit revitalisation programme implemented by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education.
“I made that letter spontaneously, from the depths of my heart, after seeing the impact of the revitalisation that has greatly changed my school’s conditions. Our school is in a remote part of the country; before this assistance, we only studied on dirt floors with rattan mats. Once again, thank you to President Prabowo Subianto and Minister Abdul Mu’ti for this revitalisation programme,” said Verona.
She expressed gratitude that there is new hope for her school, which has received revitalisation funding, transforming unworthy classrooms into safe, comfortable, and enjoyable learning spaces.
“Our dream has finally come true: new rooms, new desks, new chairs, everything new. And of course, a new spirit. A spirit to achieve dreams, reach aspirations, and a future full of hope,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Principal of SMAN 3 Kalabahi, Leti Waang, expressed profound gratitude that what her student did has become an inspiration for many people.
Initially, she simply made a standard thank-you video, after which she was contacted by the Education Quality Assurance Agency (BPMP) team in NTT Province to request permission to upload the video on BPMP NTT’s social media.
“Less than an hour later, the video was reposted on almost all of BPMP’s Instagram social media accounts. Eventually, it reached President Prabowo Subianto and garnered attention from the public and the Office of the Presidential Staff of the Republic of Indonesia,” said Leti.
Regarding the 2025 revitalisation assistance, she said that SMAN 3 Kalabahi received funding of more than Rp1 billion for building two new classrooms, one complete computer laboratory with furniture, and sanitation facilities.
According to her, the revitalisation carried out by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education not only brings changes to educational infrastructure but also to a more transparent, participatory, and equitable management system.