The Government Wants To Advance Papua Through Education

One of the current government’s national priority programs is to build superior human resources (HR) through education. With this program, the government also wants to develop Papua and West Papua to become more advanced provinces.

This was emphasized by the Vice President (Vice President) of the Republic of Indonesia, Ma’ruf Amin in a meeting with religious leaders from the West Papuan Religious Assemblies at the Indonesian Christian Church (GKI) Paulus Sowi, Manokwari, West Papua, Friday (15/10/2021). .

“We, the central government, are determined, we want to make Papua and West Papua not only equal but also more advanced than other regions,” said the vice president.

For this reason, the Vice President appreciated the various social institutions, including the Religious Councils who helped develop education in West Papua.

“When I received information from the Pastor, that education and construction of a new church building were being developed here, because it no longer fit, and the existing schools were still staying in [other] places, even though the number of [students] was large, later the government will will take part,” he said.

The Vice President emphasized that the government will continue to build Indonesian human resources so that they can compete and compete with other countries.

“This is in accordance with our national program, how we build quality, healthy, productive human resources, which can provide benefits and have competitiveness, and have a competitive spirit. This is what we will continue to build,” he said.

Furthermore, the Vice President said that the Papuan people have good talents as the motto “Torang Bisa”, so that realizing a more advanced Papua is very possible to do.

“We want this person to be able not only to be a slogan, but to be proven through education, development and training efforts,” he said.

On that occasion, the Vice President asked the Minister of Manpower Ida Fauziyah who was also present to develop a vocational education program through the Vocational Training Center (BLK) in West Papua. This is to improve the quality of human resources by providing skills, upskilling, and even reskilling.

“I ask that in West Papua, efforts to improve [education] continue to be tempered, [so] to produce superior human resources,” he pleaded.

The Vice President further revealed that with the revision of the Papua Special Autonomy Law (Otsus), currently the Special Autonomy Fund from the General Allocation Fund (DAU) has increased from the original 2 percent to 2.25 percent. It is hoped that this will also have an impact on efforts to develop better education.

“This is to build the welfare of the Papuan people, especially the Papuan Indigenous People (OAP),” he said.

In addition to education issues, at this event the Vice President also appreciated the inter-religious harmony that was very well established in West Papua.

“I express my appreciation that inter-religious harmony in West Papua is very good and I think this is an example for other regions,” he said.

Furthermore, according to the Vice President, the good religious harmony in West Papua is thanks to the leadership of the regional head, as well as the attitude of tolerance, solidarity, and mutual respect between religious leaders and traditional leaders in the region.

“This is the main capital in our development of the nation and state,” he said.

The Vice President emphasized that inter-religious harmony as part of national harmony is the main joint in the life of the nation and state. If national harmony is disturbed, it will cause conflicts that can hinder the state in developing and prospering its citizens.

“Therefore, we continue to strive as much as possible, because indeed Indonesian harmony, Indonesian unity, and national harmony are the main joints for the life of our nation and state. We have to protect this,” he concluded.

Present at this meeting were the Governor of West Papua Dominggus Mandacan, the Regent of Manokwari Hermus Indou, the Chairman of the Klasis Manokwari Pdt. J. Mamoribo, Chair of the Communion of Papuan Churches (PGGP) West Papua Pdt. Shirley F.A. Parinussa, Chair of the West Papua Religious Harmony Forum (FKUB) Pdt. Sadrak Simbiak, as well as a number of religious figures from the West Papua Religious Councils.

Also accompanying the Vice President on this occasion the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD; Minister of Home Affairs Tito Karnavian; Minister of Manpower Ida Fauziyah; and the Minister of Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises Teten Masduki. (BPMI SETWAPRES/UN)

Source: Sekretariat Kabinet RI