The Director General of Hindu Community Guidance at the Ministry of Religious Affairs has reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to strengthening the development of Widyalaya Gurukula through support for its transition into a state-run institution, improvements in the quality of educators, and the provision of adequate educational facilities and infrastructure. The commitment was conveyed during the Director General’s working visit to Widyalaya Gurukula in Bangli Regency, Bali Province, on Thursday.
The visit was part of the Government’s efforts to ensure that the development of Hindu religious education responds to needs on the ground. In addition to reviewing the condition of the school’s facilities, the Director General held discussions with the school’s management and staff to gather their concerns and aspirations as input for strengthening policies on Hindu education.
The Director General was welcomed by the Head of Widyalaya Gurukula Bangli, the Head of Hindu Education at the Bali Provincial Office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Head of the Bangli Regency Office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, teachers, education staff, and students.
During the dialogue, the school identified several priority needs, including additional teaching and administrative staff, strategies to increase student enrollment, the rehabilitation of school buildings, and the provision of adequate learning facilities and infrastructure. These inputs are expected to support improvements in educational services while creating a safer, more comfortable, and more representative learning environment.
Director General of Hindu Community Guidance Prof. I Nengah Duija emphasized that Widyalaya Gurukula has strong historical significance in the development of Hindu religious education in Indonesia. He said the institution has played an important role in nurturing generations of Hindus with strong character, competence, and integrity and therefore deserves continued support and development.
“I have followed the development of Gurukula since the administration of Regent Adi Arnawa. Gurukula has strong historical roots in nurturing generations of Hindus. Moving forward, this role must be strengthened and expanded so that it can produce excellent, well-rounded Hindu human resources who are prepared to respond to the challenges of the times,” Prof. Duija said.
In response to the aspirations raised during the visit, the Directorate General of Hindu Community Guidance will pursue several strategic measures. These include strengthening budgetary support for building rehabilitation and educational facilities, expanding access to the Teacher Professional Education (PPG) Program, improving teacher competencies, and strengthening the welfare of educators as part of efforts to improve the quality of Hindu religious education services.
Prof. Duija also said that the proposal to transform Widyalaya Gurukula into a state-run institution had received the attention of the Ministry of Religious Affairs. The proposal will be followed up in accordance with applicable procedures and regulations as part of efforts to strengthen the institutional governance of Hindu religious education.
“We have taken note of the proposal for state institutionalization, and it is one of the priorities that we will continue to advance. We want to ensure that every process complies with the applicable regulations while remaining focused on strengthening the quality of Hindu religious education services,” he emphasized.
He also called on all stakeholders to strengthen collaboration in developing a sustainable Hindu education ecosystem. According to him, cadre-training institutions such as PGA and Hindu religious higher education institutions represent important assets in preparing the human resources needed to sustain the development of Widyalaya Gurukula in the future.
“We should be grateful for the cadre-training institutions that have served as important sources of qualified educators and Hindu community members. Therefore, let us work together to advance Widyalaya Gurukula so that it can become a center for character development, strengthening religious values, and developing excellent Hindu human resources,” he said.
Following the dialogue, Prof. Duija inspected several school facilities to assess the development needs of Widyalaya Gurukula. The findings from the visit will serve as one of the inputs for the Directorate General of Hindu Community Guidance in formulating policies to improve the quality of Hindu religious education and advance Widyalaya Gurukula as an excellent, adaptive, and competitive educational institution.
Contributor : I Made Juni Saputra
Photographer : I Gusti Ngurah Sathya Dharma
