Remarks of President of the Republic of Indonesia at the Opening of the 23rd Congress of Indonesian Teachers Association (PGRI), at the Grand Sahid Jaya Hotel, Jakarta, March 2, 2024
Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.
Assalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh,
Good morning,
Peace and prosperity be upon us,
Shalom,
Om swastiastu,
Namo buddhaya,
Greetings of virtue.
Distinguished Ministers of the Indonesia Onward Cabinet, present here with me are Minister of Religious Affairs, Minister of Trade, Indonesian National Police Chief, Chief of the General Staff of the Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI), Acting Governor of Jakarta;
Honorable Chairperson of the PGRI Executive Board Prof. Dr. Unifah Rosyidi;
Honorable PGRI administrators at the national, provincial and regency/city levels throughout the country, PGRI members, teachers from across the country;
Ladies and gentlemen.
This morning, I should still have been in Palembang. On Wednesday, I went to Samarinda. Then, on Thursday, I was in Bontang. On Friday, I was at the Nusantara Capital (IKN). And, on Saturday, there were two invitations: PGRI and the Muhammadiyah Student Association (IMM). I told Minister of State Secretary, “It’s impossible to attend both events at the same time, so please tell the IMM to move it to Friday night.” Alhamdulillah, thank God, it was possible. So, from IKN, I took a heli to Balikpapan. From Balikpapan last night, I flew to Palembang to open the IMM congress. I was back at the palace at a little over 12:00.
I drove here this morning from Bogor just to meet you. In just three months, in just three months, I have come to PGRI events twice. First in November 2023 on Teacher’s Day, then this morning at the PGRI Congress. This is rare—just three months. But once again, because the teachers invited me, I could not refuse. Because the contribution of teachers is enormous for this country, for this land.
Honorable teachers,
I never get tired of mentioning that Indonesia stands a golden opportunity, a great opportunity to leapfrog into a developed country in the next three periods of national leadership. That is not my calculation; [it is] the National Development Planning Agency ()’ calculation, OECD’s calculation, IMF’s calculation, and the World Bank’s calculation. All of them calculate that there is a great opportunity to leap into a developed country. Be careful not to fall into the middle-income trap.
In the past, in the 50s, 60s, 70s, countries in Latin America were already developing countries. They were able to grab the opportunity. In a civilization, a country is usually only given a chance once. But they could not make the most of the opportunity. Finally, these countries have remained developing countries until today, and some have even gone down to the level of poor countries. Do not let that happen in our country, Indonesia. We must use this opportunity to leap forward to become a developed country, specifically when we are granted the demographic bonus. One of the keys is the quality and productivity of our youth. Again, the quality and productivity of our youth. Therefore, human resource education and development become very, very important, be it from the physical aspect, the skill aspect, or the character aspect.
And thank you to the teachers who continue to educate the students with a wide range of knowledge and manners. A safe school environment, a comfortable school environment is essential to nurturing excellent students. Again, very, very important. I am very concerned lately regarding bullying cases, violence cases, harassment cases, some of which have even resulted in fatalities. This should not happen again [and] be allowed to continue. And, schools must be a safe house for our students to learn, to ask questions, to be creative, to play, to mingle with. There should no be students who are scared, frightened at school. There should be no students who are pressured and uncomfortable at school.
And I have high expectations for all teachers to be the spearheads in creating a comfortable school environment, creating a safe school environment for our children. Prioritize prevention, prioritize the rights of our children, especially those who fall victim. Let’s not cover up bullying cases, but rather resolve them. Typically, bullying cases are covered up to protect the reputation of the school. I believe it is best to address and fix the issue.
Finally, I am grateful for PGRI’s active role in improving teachers’ professionalism, in improving the quality of teachers, thereby impacting the development of human resources, as I mentioned earlier. With the collaboration between the Government and PGRI, I am sure that the quality and professionalism of teachers will further improve so that we can ensure an excellent young generation with a strong national character.
This concludes my remarks on this auspicious opportunity. And, to pump up your spirit, I’d like to follow the example of Prof. Unifah.
Long live the teachers!
Long live PGRI!
Solidarity!
Who are we?
And by saying bismillahirrahmanirrahim, I officially open the 23rd PGRI Congress.
Thank you.
Wassalamu’alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.
(FI/MUR)