PKB Urges West Java Governor to Pay Attention to Pesantren

The West Java Provincial Government has been urged to pay more serious attention to Islamic boarding schools (pondok pesantren), as many of these educational institutions remain in significant need of government support. The call was made by Sidkon Djampi, a member of the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction in the West Java Regional House of Representatives (DPRD), during a plenary session on Tuesday (14/7). He emphasised that pesantren are not merely formal educational institutions, but also serve as the nation’s moral fortress, a training ground for future leaders, and guardians of noble national values. He noted that while the public welcomed the issuance of Regional Regulation No. 1 of 2021 on the Facilitation of Pesantren Management, a regulation is meaningless without concrete implementation on the ground. Sidkon expressed concern over the reality faced by many pesantren, especially those in the middle-to-lower category, which are still developing on a small scale in remote areas and struggling with very basic facility limitations. He highlighted that many students are forced to study under leaking roofs, with minimal internet access and no adequate library to support the teaching and learning process. He stressed the importance of maintaining good traditions while adopting beneficial new approaches to keep pesantren relevant in facing the challenges of the times. Fellow PKB faction member Maulana Yusuf also lamented the provincial government’s lack of attention to the pesantren sector, revealing that the 2026 Regional Budget under Governor Dedi Mulyadi currently allocates zero rupiah for pesantren funding.