"We can contribute to the advancement of the world if members of our young generation receive good education," Kalla noted.
Sumbawa, W Nusa Tenggara, (ANTARA) - Vice President Jusuf Kalla visited Dea Malela International Islamic Boarding School in Pamangong Village, Lenangguar Sub-district, Sumbawa District, West Nusa Tenggara Province, on Saturday, and laid a cornerstone for building the school's new facility.

During his visit, Kalla, accompanied by the school's head, Din Syamsuddin, and West Nusa Tenggara Governor Zulkieflimansyah, met with members of the Dea Malela Education and Culture Foundation, teachers, students, and representatives of the students' parents.

The vice president remarked that advancing education was a real challenge for Muslims in Indonesia. Hence, the presence of this modern Islamic boarding school was expected to help develop and transfer science and technology required by a tolerant and competent society.

"We can contribute to the advancement of the world if members of our young generation receive good education," Kalla noted.

Inaugurated by former education and culture minister Anies Baswedan and Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono in 2016, this school currently has 320 students of which 50 come from Timor Leste, Malaysia, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Russia.

Dea Malela International Islamic Boarding School offers a dormitory system for its secondary-level students in which the language instructions are given in Indonesian, Arabic, and Russian.

The Religious Affairs Ministry remarked that Indonesia has 27,218 Islamic boarding schools, with more than 3.6 million students.

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Translator: Fransiska N, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
Copyright © ANTARA 2019