RI, British Council partner to strengthen madrasah English teaching

The collaboration was formalized with a Memorandum of Understanding signed in November 2025 and concluded with an in‑person workshop at the Ministry’s office in Jakarta in late February 2026.

Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar described the initiative as a concrete step toward advancing the Ministry’s strategic priorities.

“It also supports the agreement under the Indonesia–UK Strategic Partnership signed by President Prabowo Subianto and Prime Minister Keir Starmer in January 2026, in which education is one of the main pillars of cooperation,” he said.

Indonesia currently records 41,833 madrasah teachers nationwide. Umar emphasized that strengthening their capacity is strategic, as it not only nurtures a generation of Muslims with a strong religious foundation but also expands students’ access to higher education and global networks.

The program began with a competency mapping exercise to assess pedagogical skills and English proficiency among teachers at Madrasah Tsanawiyah (junior secondary) and Madrasah Aliyah (senior secondary) levels.

This was followed by a pilot CPD program designed to serve as a foundation for future policy development.

British Council Country Director for Indonesia and Director for Southeast Asia, Summer Xia, reported that 613 teachers from nearly all provinces have completed the program.

“By delivering structured online training supported by e‑moderators and weekly live sessions, we ensure that high‑quality professional development is accessible to educators wherever they are,” he explained.

He added that a data‑driven approach through competency mapping provides an objective overview of teachers’ development needs and can guide future policy planning.

As a pilot initiative, the program is expected to expand to reach more madrasah teachers across Indonesia and foster sustainable professional learning communities.

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Translator: Asep Firmansyah, Kuntum Khaira Riswan