Hartarto made the statement during his visit to the Nurul Jadid Islamic Boarding School and Zainul Hasan Genggong Islamic Boarding School in Probolinggo, East Java.
"As an institution, Islamic boarding schools are also known to have (played) a significant role in participating in the intellectual life of the nation through the management of the education sector," Hartarto noted in a statement in Jakarta, Thursday.
The minister remarked that pesantren had also provided organizational experience to students that was expected to foster the leadership spirit.
As a result, pesantren create superior leaders that drive progress of the nation.
"The important role of Islamic boarding schools is also seen in the ability to advance the people's economy, not only for economic independence of Islamic boarding schools but also for empowerment and improvement of welfare for the community around the pesantren," he affirmed.
“Students should continue to learn and to follow current scientific developments. (This is) especially for students majoring in health, as this has become an important sector since the COVID-19 pandemic,” Hartarto remarked.
"We must continue to strengthen relations with Islamic boarding schools in Indonesia, so that together we can rise from the pandemic and recover the economy from the micro side, especially from the economy of Islamic boarding schools and the surrounding community," Hartarto noted.
The Nurul Jadid Islamic Boarding School oversees educational foundations from kindergarten to university level and some 15 thousand students study at the Islamic Boarding School. In 2021, the Nurul Jadid Islamic Boarding School received an award as the Best Islamic Boarding School in Handling COVID-19 from the Nahdlatul Ulama Executive Board (PBNU).
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Translator: Kuntum K, Azis Kurmala
Editor: Sri Haryati
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