Jakarta (ANTARA) – Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas has instructed officials from the Ministry’s General Directorate of Islamic Education to monitor educational institutions under the ministry and ensure they are free from ideologies harmful to the state.
“I insist that education in state Islamic schools and Islamic universities must be safe and free from ideologies harmful to the state,” Qoumas noted in a written statement received in Jakarta on Wednesday.
The minister said he instructed the work units of the ministry to define the positions of all religious educational institutions, such as regular schools and boarding schools, as well as universities regarding religious and nationalist thoughts as well as approaches on the issue of sexual violence.
The ministry will also carry out routine evaluation and monitoring of teaching activities to prevent sexual violence in religious educational institutions, he noted.
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“I will be tireless in reminding (officials) to carry out monitoring and evaluation of teaching activities in Islamic schools and other religious educational institutions,” Qoumas remarked.
Moreover, the minister said he received a report that some 11% of university professors have not yet moderated their position while not revealing the identity or name of the professors.
“I don’t want an actor who will fight against the state to appear in religious universities, because we currently have 11% of teachers, who still have to moderate their positions. There is no room for the intolerance and extremist thoughts in educational institutions under the Ministry of Religious Affairs,” he stressed.
Ministry officials should also not get involved in anti-state activities, the minister said while adding that firm action would be taken against officials who violated the instruction.
“I want the ministry to serve as a barometer for other ministries since the Ministry of Religious Affairs has an additional charge regarding our responsibility in religious affairs. Let us instead apply religious values as an inspiration to do good,” Qoumas asserted.
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