One Year into the Prabowo Era, the Government Directly Strengthens Islamic Boarding School Infrastructure
Jakarta – The government under President Prabowo Subianto has demonstrated a real commitment to strengthening Islamic boarding school infrastructure throughout Indonesia. This cross-ministerial program, involving the Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag), the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri), and the Ministry of Public Works (KemenPU), is a concrete step by the state to ensure the safety of students and educators within Islamic boarding schools.
Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment, Muhaimin Iskandar, emphasized that this collaboration demonstrates the state’s responsibility to directly protect the nation’s future generations studying in Islamic boarding schools. He stated that this inter-ministerial collaboration is not merely a physical project, but a concrete manifestation of the government’s commitment to the safety and well-being of the Islamic boarding school community.
“I am very proud and grateful. The signing of this memorandum of understanding is part of our efforts to ensure the safety of every citizen, to ensure the safety of our students, the santri, the nation’s next generation,” said Muhaimin after the signing of the inter-ministerial memorandum of understanding.
Muhaimin explained that President Prabowo had given direct instructions for the government to be involved in concretely addressing and improving religious education facilities, particularly Islamic boarding schools (pesantren). This step was taken after the government received several reports regarding the condition of Islamic boarding school infrastructure, which still needed serious attention.
“After we reported the situation and the President gave his direction, he ordered the government to be involved in addressing, resolving, and developing plans to prevent a repeat of this tragic incident,” he said.
The government has also established criteria for Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) that will be prioritized to receive assistance. The initial focus is on those with a large student population and those facing limited economic conditions.
“The first priority is those with a student population of over 1,000, and those truly unable to maintain the existing buildings,” Muhaimin explained.
Meanwhile, Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar believes that strengthening Islamic boarding school infrastructure is not only about physical development, but also a form of state protection for children studying at religious institutions. He emphasized that this program is a strategic step to ensure the safety and suitability of buildings within Islamic boarding school environments.
“The incident that befell the Islamic boarding school in East Java yesterday is a reminder for all of us. The important thing is to prevent a similar incident from happening again. We want to ensure the safety and suitability of buildings in Islamic boarding schools throughout Indonesia,” said Nasaruddin Umar.
The Minister of Religious Affairs also expressed his appreciation to President Prabowo for his attention and speed in responding to the safety issue of Islamic boarding schools. “On behalf of the Islamic boarding school community, I thank President Prabowo for so quickly providing direction to everyone and increasing the budget. This demonstrates the state’s concern for Islamic boarding school education,” he said.
Technical support also came from the Ministry of Public Works. Minister Doddy Hanggodo explained that his office would conduct mapping and sampling tests on the physical condition of Islamic boarding school buildings in various regions. This step was taken to ensure all facilities meet safety and construction suitability standards.
“We will help ensure that Islamic boarding school buildings are suitable and safe. The initial focus will be on sampling the building quality in 80 Islamic boarding schools, which we will report to the Minister of Religious Affairs for follow-up,” explained Doddy Hanggodo.
Muhaimin added that this collaborative effort demonstrates that the government is not merely focused on equitable development but also on ensuring social justice for all levels of society, including Islamic boarding school students (santri).
“The most important thing is a sense of security and comfort for our children’s learning process. That is the meaning of national justice,” he emphasized.
Through this program, the government is committed to making Islamic boarding schools an integral part of national development. Strengthening Islamic boarding school infrastructure not only creates a safe and suitable learning environment but also serves as a long-term social investment in developing a generation with character, faith, and competitiveness towards Indonesia Emas 2045.
