Jakarta (ANTARA) - Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar emphasized the importance of teacher professionalism in carrying out their duties as educators, which he said must be based on four main components in the teaching and learning process.

“A professional teacher must possess four main criteria. The first is learning how to learn, because learning itself also needs to be studied,” Nasaruddin said during the opening of the In-Service Teacher Professional Education Program (PPG) at UIN Syarif Hidayatullah, Jakarta, on Wednesday.

The minister explained that besides learning how to learn, teachers are also required to master how to teach.

This ability, he added, must be internalized by teachers and transferred to students, so that students are also taught the process of learning how to learn, which is strongly emphasized in religious education.

“The third component is teaching how to learn. A teacher must be capable of teaching students effective learning methods,” he said.

The fourth component, according to Nasaruddin, is teaching how to teach. He noted that this is an important aspect in teacher training and development to ensure educators can pass on appropriate teaching methods to their peers.

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“These four components must be clearly separated. They should not be mixed. Professionalism lies in the ability to distinguish each component firmly, while still forming a harmonious system,” he added.

The Minister of Religious Affairs hopes that all educators in Indonesia can internalize these four components to improve the quality of national education in a professional and character-driven manner.

Before opening the in-service PPG program, Nasaruddin and his team held an interfaith prayer, raising hopes for peace, harmony, and unity in Indonesia.

He described the joint prayer event as a beautiful sight reflecting the spirit of unity and tolerance among religious communities in Indonesia.

“I want to send a special greeting to colleagues leading the interfaith prayers. It is a very beautiful scene,” he said.

Previously, the Ministry of Religious Affairs held the In-Service Teacher Professional Education (PPG) attended by 206,471 teachers in batch 3, an increase of almost 700 percent compared to 2020, when only 29,933 teachers participated.

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Translator: Asep, Azis Kurmala
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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