One Year into the Prabowo Era, Government Steps In to Strengthen Islamic Boarding School Infrastructure
Jakarta – Under the leadership of President Prabowo Subianto, the Indonesian government has demonstrated a strong commitment to strengthening infrastructure at Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) across the country. A multi-ministerial program involving the Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA), Ministry of Home Affairs, and Ministry of Public Works and Housing (MPWH) is a concrete step by the state to ensure the safety and well-being of students and educators in pesantren environments.
Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment, Muhaimin Iskandar, emphasized that this collaboration is a reflection of the state’s responsibility to directly safeguard the next generation being educated in Islamic institutions. He noted that this inter-ministerial partnership is not merely a physical infrastructure project, but a tangible manifestation of the government’s commitment to the welfare of pesantren communities.
“I am proud and grateful. This memorandum of understanding is part of our effort to ensure the safety of every citizen, especially the students—the santri—who are the future of our nation,” said Muhaimin after the MoU signing ceremony.
Muhaimin explained that President Prabowo had issued direct instructions for the government to actively address and improve religious educational facilities, especially pesantren. This initiative came following reports highlighting the critical condition of infrastructure in many pesantren.
“After we submitted the report, the President instructed us to step in, respond, and plan preventive action so that tragic incidents do not happen again,” he said.
The government has established criteria to prioritize pesantren eligible for assistance. The initial focus is on schools with large student populations and limited financial capacity.
“For the first phase, the priority will be pesantren with over 1,000 students and insufficient means to improve their facilities,” Muhaimin explained.
Meanwhile, Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar stated that strengthening pesantren infrastructure is not only about physical development, but also a way for the state to protect children pursuing religious education. He stressed that the program is a strategic move to ensure the safety and structural integrity of pesantren buildings.
“The recent incident at a pesantren in East Java should be a wake-up call. What matters most is that such tragedies are never repeated. We want to ensure all pesantren facilities in Indonesia are safe and livable,” said Nasaruddin Umar.
He also expressed gratitude to President Prabowo for his swift and serious response to pesantren safety concerns.
“On behalf of the pesantren community, I thank President Prabowo for responding quickly and for increasing the budget allocation. This is clear evidence of the state’s attention to pesantren education,” he added.
Technical support will be provided by the Ministry of Public Works. Minister Doddy Hanggodo explained that the ministry will conduct mapping and sampling assessments of pesantren buildings across different regions. The goal is to ensure that all facilities meet proper construction and safety standards.
“We will assist in ensuring pesantren buildings are structurally sound and safe. Initially, we’re conducting sample inspections at 80 pesantren, and we’ll report the findings to the Ministry of Religious Affairs for follow-up,” explained Doddy Hanggodo.
Muhaimin reiterated that this collaborative effort demonstrates the government’s commitment to not only equitable development, but also social justice for all segments of society, including the pesantren community.
“The most important thing is creating a safe and comfortable environment for our children to learn. That is the essence of state justice,” he affirmed.
Through this program, the government is committed to making pesantren an integral part of national development. Strengthening pesantren infrastructure is not only about creating safe and decent learning environments, but also a long-term social investment in developing a faith-driven, resilient, and competitive generation for a Golden Indonesia 2045.
