The certification is expected to be completed within one to two years, the ministry's Director of Islamic Higher Education, Sahiron, said at a professional teachers' inauguration event in Yogyakarta on Saturday, according to a statement released the same day.
There are currently 625,481 teachers under the Ministry of Religious Affairs who have not participated in the PPG program. Most of them are madrasah (Islamic school) teachers, with their number totaling 484,678.
They also include 95,367 Islamic religious education teachers, 29,002 Christian religious education teachers, 11,157 Catholic religious education teachers, 4,412 Hindu religious education teachers, 689 Buddhist religious education teachers, and 179 Confucian religious education teachers.
This year, the Ministry of Religious Affairs' PPG program is targeting 269,168 teachers. Meanwhile, in 2026, it will target as many as 356,313 teachers.
Sahiron emphasized his commitment to making the PPG program a success to ensure that all teachers under the Ministry of Religious Affairs benefit from the program.
He noted that the professional certification of teachers would not only improve their welfare but also ensure that they can later transfer knowledge to students.
"We must underline that the Indonesian nation has a goal to be a golden nation in 2045, to enter the golden age of Indonesia," he said.
He added that there are two Golden Indonesia indicators, with the first being science and technology advancement.
The second is a nation with mature religious spirituality, which, among other things, would be reflected in the level of communal tolerance and harmony, he informed.
Sahiron pointed out that on several occasions, Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar has expressed his commitment to building maturity in the religious spirituality of the nation and harmony between religious communities.
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Translator: Asep Firmansyah, Raka Adji
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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