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Ramadan ‘special learning’ circular ready to sign: Minister

The government is ready to issue a circular that appears to revive a colonial-era policy on a monthlong school break for Ramadan, though the schools minister insists the contemporary iteration is intended as a special learning program.

News Desk (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Mon, January 20, 2025

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Ramadan ‘special learning’ circular ready to sign: Minister Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto (left) greets students at a ‘pesantren’ (Islamic boarding school) on Dec. 2, 2023, while on his presidential campaign trail in Probolinggo, East Java. (Antara/Irfan Sumanjaya)

T

he government is soon to issue a joint ministerial circular mandating a special arrangement for students during Ramadan this year, which begins at the end of February, despite parents’ concerns that it could be counterproductive to their children’s regular schooling.

“We describe this policy not as a holiday, but as a [special learning program] for students throughout the fasting month of Ramadan,” Elementary and Secondary Education Minister Abdul Mu’ti said on Sunday during a working visit to Pangkalpinang, Bangka Belitung, as quoted by state news agency Antara.

While Mu’ti did not elaborate on either the details or launch date of the policy, he noted that the draft circular was ready to be signed by himself as well as the religious affairs and home ministers, after which it would apply to all relevant schools nationwide.

The new initiative was introduced to the public through a viral video featuring Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar, who relayed a message from President Prabowo Subianto announcing the possibility of the government imposing a month-long school break during Ramadan this year.

But parents raised concerns that a break for the entirety of the fasting month might adversely impact their children’s learning.

The country’s second-largest Muslim organization Muhammadiyah, which focuses on social welfare and education, also responded by saying it would support the plan as long as the government ensured that the proposed school break would be optimized for character education.

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At present, school breaks during Ramadan are typically limited to the first three days of the fasting month, with the final decision left to the discretion of local education agencies and individual schools.

The official 2025 calendar does not include a month-long school break for Ramadan, and instead contains 27 scheduled days off for 17 national holidays and 10 days of collective leave, as outlined in a joint ministerial decree.

The idea of imposing a month-long school break for Ramadan was first introduced in the early 20th century by the Dutch colonial government, and aimed to free up educators so they could contribute to other sectors such as health, agriculture and public administration.

In 1978, president Soeharto reduced the duration to 10 days, comprising three days at the start of Ramadan and seven days after Idul Fitri, the major Muslim holiday that marks the end of the fasting month. The policy faced significant resistance, with many Islamic schools opting to maintain the month-long holiday.

In 1999, president Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid revived the full-month Ramadan school break to encourage students to focus on spiritual and religious activities. Many Islamic boarding schools used the time to hold an acceleration program called pesantren kilat, while teachers took the opportunity to pursue professional development.

Astronomical calculations indicate a starting date of March 1 for Ramadan this year, but the actual date is dependent on the sighting of hilal, or the first crescent of the new moon, by the religion ministry’s moonsighting committee. (tjs)

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