Hadi stated on Wednesday that the creation of the new directorate general is prompted by the incident at Al-Khoziny Boarding School in Sidoarjo, East Java. He said the incident highlighted the need for the government to strengthen support for some 42 thousand Islamic boarding schools nationwide.
Moreover, the president tasked the Public Works Ministry to assess the structural safety of the school's building, he added. Similar evaluations are also being carried out for other religious-based educational institutions, to ensure they meet minimum safety standards.
The president also has concern for the santris' (Islamic boarding school students) learning process, Hadi added. Islamic boarding school students, who currently number some 16 million, should not only learn about religion, but also gain knowledge in technology and economics to enable them to adapt to modern challenges.
According to him, those reasons are what motivated President Prabowo Subianto to authorize the Religious Affairs Ministry to establish the Islamic Boarding School Directorate General.
The new directorate general's establishment coincides with the 2025 National Santri Day (Hari Santri Nasional).
Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar responded positively to the development, and commended everyone who advocated for the directorate general.
The idea was first proposed in 2019 by then-Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin. It was suggested again in 2021 and 2023 during Yaqut Cholil Qoumas' tenure.
In 2024, Umar suggested the idea again to the State Apparatus Utilization and Bureaucratic Reform Ministry.
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Translator: Fathur Rochman, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Arie Novarina
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