"The budget may be limited, but our commitment remains unchanged," said Endi Suhendi Zen, an official from the ministry’s Pesantren Directorate, on Tuesday.
He noted that only around 5,100 of the country’s approximately 42,000 pesantrens have so far received business incubation assistance through the ministry’s Pesantren Independence Program.
This year, around 1,000 more Islamic boarding schools are expected to benefit from the program.
"We want to do more, but we must understand that our budget is limited," Zen said.
He urged pesantren administrators to complete all necessary steps in updating their institutional data with the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
According to Zen, poor data management has become a major barrier to support. Many pesantrens have not digitally updated information on their students, teachers, and facilities, which in turn affects the allocation of government assistance.
"Government funding is often difficult to disburse because the data is not synchronized," he explained.
Zen praised several pesantrens that have successfully modernized without losing their identity as Islamic educational institutions.
He cited Ketitang Islamic Boarding School in Cirebon, West Java, as a positive example. The school features modern facilities such as a podcast studio and improved sanitation, while continuing to develop its education system.
Zen encouraged administrators to maintain collaboration efforts to build a more structured and progressive Islamic education ecosystem.
"The Ministry of Religious Affairs is always ready to engage in dialogue and cooperation. We must not grow tired in our efforts to advance pesantrens," he stressed.
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Translator: Asep Firmansyah, Raka Adji
Editor: Anton Santoso
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