A House of Representatives plenary meeting approved on Tuesday the draft bill on boarding schools and religious education.

“The boarding schools and religious education bill has officially been established as a House initiated bill,” House Deputy Speaker Utut Adianto said.

The bill, which was proposed by the Islam-based United Development Party (PPP) in 2013, comprises 10 chapters and 169 articles that regulate religious-based educational institutes across the country.

PPP lawmaker Achmad Baidowi, one of the drafters of the bill, said the bill would also stipulate the budget allocation for Islamic boarding schools and other religious institutes.

“The country should put more emphasis on the religious institutes, particularly regarding the budget allocation,” Baidowi said.

To date, Islamic boarding schools are regulated in accordance with Religious Affairs Ministerial Regulation No. 13/2013, while other religious-based educational institutes are governed in accordance with Government Regulation No. 55/2007.

Baidowi said the new bill, if passed, would provide a stronger legal basis than existing regulations.

He went on to say that the House will soon set the timeline for the bill's deliberation.

“We’ll ask for input from all related stakeholders, including the leaders of Islamic boarding schools,” he said, adding that the House targeted to pass the bill in 2019. (swd)