In a statement cited here on Monday, he explained that one of the new units will focus on pesantrens, or Islamic boarding schools, and expressed hope that it could be inaugurated during the 2025 Santri (Pesantren Student) Day commemoration..
"If possible, we want the directorate general to be a gift for Santri Day on October 22. Our ministry has lost the Hajj Directorate General, but we can make it up by forming the Pesantren Directorate General," Syafi'fi said.
He referred to President Prabowo Subianto’s decision to transfer Hajj and Umrah organization duties to the newly established Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.
The deputy minister explained that the creation of the Pesantren Directorate General is expected to enable the government to give more focused attention to pesantrens across the country.
"As a vital part of the education sector, pesantrens deserve to receive stronger institutional support," he remarked.
Alongside the pesantren unit, the ministry also plans to establish a directorate general responsible for integrating the management of higher education institutions affiliated with Indonesia’s six officially recognized religions: Islam, Christianity, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism.
To this end, Syafi’i said he had consulted with the existing directorate generals for each religion to draft an academic framework for the proposed Directorate General of Religious Higher Education.
“I aim to unite all religious education under a single body,” he emphasized.
As for the third sub-ministerial institution, the deputy minister highlighted the need to form the Directorate General of Religious Primary and Secondary Education to strengthen budget allocations and management within the sector.
Related news: Indonesian govt urges Islamic schools to help cut poverty by 2026
Translator: Asep F, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Primayanti
Copyright © ANTARA 2025
