President provides special attention to madrasahs through streamlined bureaucracy
Medan (ANTARA) - The Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, H Romo Muhammad Syafist, stated that President Prabowo Subianto is providing special attention to madrasah institutions through a direct assistance programme that bypasses lengthy bureaucracy.
The Deputy Minister noted that this policy is expected to boost educational infrastructure, including prioritising madrasahs in regions such as Medan in the coming year.
“This is our momentum to continue improving quality. Welcome to the era of a President who cares for pesantren and madrasahs,” said Romo following a coaching and networking session with teachers, students, and parents at Madrasah Aliyah Negeri (MAN) 3 Medan, North Sumatra, on Monday.
The Deputy Minister mentioned that many direct grants have already been distributed by President Prabowo Subianto to both pesantren and madrasahs in various regions.
Furthermore, regarding academic achievement, the quality of madrasahs in Indonesia is beyond doubt, as they are capable of competing on both national and international stages.
According to him, several leading madrasahs have now entered the ranks of the best secondary schools, with alumni gaining admission to world-tier universities such as Oxford and Harvard.
“The state’s primary focus is to ensure that Islamic educational institutions are able to compete globally and produce a generation with noble character,” he emphasised.
The Deputy Minister revealed that the government continues to demonstrate a strong commitment to advancing the quality of religious education, including serious attention to teacher welfare.
“The acceleration of infrastructure development, as well as the enforcement of morality within the pesantren and madrasah environments,” said Romo.
His office stated that the government is taking a firm stance on various moral issues and social concerns within religious education environments, including bullying and sexual harassment.
“Any perpetrator who is proven guilty will immediately face heavy sanctions,” Romo explained.
The Head of the Regional Office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs for North Sumatra Province, H Ahmad Qosbi, reported that religious education in North Sumatra continues to achieve brilliant accomplishments at both regional and national levels.
He noted that madrasah students in North Sumatra serve as tangible evidence of the success of continuous character and academic development.
“North Sumatra is known for its high-achieving madrasah students, many of whom graduate from favourite state universities domestically and even proceed to further their studies abroad,” said Qosbi.