Director of Diktis: PTKIN must develop digital learning system

Syahida Inn, UIN News Online – UIN Jakarta and other State Islamic Religious Higher Education Institution (PTKIN) in Indonesia are asked to develop a digital learning system. In addition to getting around learning methods in the pandemic era, the digital learning system also facilitates people who have difficulty pursuing higher education due to sit-in learning policy.

This was said by the Director of Islamic Higher Education, Ministry of Religious Affairs, Suyitno, in his speech at the UIN Jakarta leadership meeting, Wednesday (03/10/2021), held at Syahida Inn, campus II of UIN Jakarta.

According to Suyitno, pandemic situation in the past year has provided a big lesson on the importance of adopting a digital-based learning system. In addition to avoiding health risks, digital-based learning has also proven to be more effective than in classrooms.

“Digital learning allows students to remain productive in filling their other activities,” he said.

Professor Suyitno also reminded the importance of digital-based learning as the Islamic universities responsibilities in in fulfilling the educational rights for the untouched community.

The first group, he explained, were madrasa teachers who did not have a bachelor's degree. They have difficulty in fulfilling the requirements of undergraduate education and even they do not receive certification benefits due to difficulties in attending lectures in class.

The second group consists of Indonesian workers abroad. Economically, this group is a potential group, but has difficulty in continuing education due to classroom-based learning.

“They have to work for their family. In fact, many of them are dropping out of college and migrating to various countries. It is not possible for them to attend lectures in class,” said Suyitno.

And finally, groups of Islamic religious leaders such as da'i or kyai. On average, da'is only complete their formal education at the Madrasah Aliyah and prefer to focus more on deepening Islamic knowledge in Islamic boarding schools.

“Therefore, we must facilitate them by providing digital and virtual-based classes,” he said.

Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs, he added, will launch Cyber Islamic University and appoint one of the PTKIN as a pilot project. “Its existence is expected to be a digital learning model in Islamic higher education in the country,” he added. (usa/zm)