The President's decision to pick Bangka Belitung was based on the province recording the highest marks in religious harmony among other provinces, he said.
"President Jokowi appointed Bangka Belitung as the center of Confucian religion education because it has already become a necessity (for us)," Djohan said here on Wednesday.
In particular, the President has tasked the provincial authority to develop the Indonesian Confucian Academy in the province, he added.
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"Before the Chinese New Year, we and representatives of the Supreme Council for the Confucian Religion in Indonesia (Matakin) met the President who then asked us to develop a Confucian religious academy in Bangka Belitung," he informed.
Djohan revealed that the provincial authority has granted a total of 4.5 hectares of land at two sites in the province's Tanjung Bunga and Kejora regions for the development of the academy.
"Let us pray together that in (Matakin's) centenary next year, the construction of the Indonesian Confucian Academy in Bangka Belitung will commence," the governor remarked.
Meanwhile, a member of the Matakin organization committee, Budi Santoso, said that the program will address the issue of the small number of teachers specialized in Confucian religion studies in the region despite the high demand for the subject in schools.
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He also highlighted that the high percentage of adherents of the Confucian religion in the province indicated the urgency for the development of Confucian education.
"There is a high demand for Confucian religion teachers (in the region), yet the number of teachers is low. We cannot nurture new Confucian religion teachers while a specialized academy (for the study) does not exist yet,” he added.
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Translator: Aprionis, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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