Five-Day School Program is Optional

Koran Sindo, page 5

Five-day schools will be run optionally according to the characteristics of each region.  In addition there will be no coercion; regional characteristics in character building will also take precedence. This was stated by the Minister of Education and Culture (Mendikbud) Muhadjir Effendy.

Muhadjir said, Permendikbud regarding the five-day school has come out and the technical guidelines on the subject matter will be formulated. He said this five-day school regulation would be as flexible as possible by making use of learning resources in the school environment.

He denied that with the implementation of the five-day school, Religious Education would be abolished.  Precisely Religious Education as part of character building will be an optional material taught in respective regions. For example in East Java, its madrasah diniyah is very strong; therefore, the formation of character through the madrasah will be strengthened. However, it is different from the characteristics in Papua, of course, what will be strengthened is that which is prominent in the area.

Meanwhile, KH Maruf Amin explained, from this dialogue, MUI understood that this policy would indeed be done gradually and optionally. After that, MUI will make suggestions and opinions that will be formulated in writing. Regarding it being optional, although it cannot be included in the Ministerial Regulation (Permen), Kemendikbud has undertaken to include it in the technical guidelines. However, he continued, MUI wants Kemendikbud to affirm how the status of madrasah and its teachers would be and the empowerment of madrasah which has so far been under-empowered.