Jakarta. The Indonesian government will conduct structural safety assessments of 80 major Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) across eight provinces following the collapse of the Al-Khoziny boarding school in Sidoarjo, East Java, which killed 67 students and left five others permanently disabled.

The inspections will take place in provinces with the largest pesantren populations -- West Java, East Java, Central Java, Banten, Aceh, South Sumatra, South Sulawesi, and South Kalimantan, said Public Works Minister Dody Hanggodo on Tuesday.

“This effort is not about finding fault but about learning together how to create stronger and safer learning spaces,” Dody said in Jakarta.

The government hopes the program will not only prevent future tragedies but also foster safer, community-based development across Indonesia’s vast network of Islamic boarding schools, which serve millions of students nationwide.

Dody explained that the 80 boarding schools will serve as sample sites to help the government evaluate and improve national building safety standards for educational institutions, particularly dormitory-style schools.

The initiative forms part of a cross-ministerial collaboration involving the Ministries of Public Works, Religious Affairs, and Home Affairs, formalized through a newly signed cooperation agreement aimed at strengthening pesantren infrastructure nationwide.

Dody said the Public Works Ministry would act as a technical partner to support local governments and the Religious Affairs Ministry in ensuring safe and resilient learning environments.

“Through this partnership, we aim to empower local governments as the front line of development, ensuring that every pesantren -- no matter how small -- receives equal attention,” he said.

In addition to inspections, the ministry plans to provide construction training and certification programs for pesantren students, who often participate in building or renovating school facilities. The initiative seeks to transform Indonesia’s culture of mutual cooperation (gotong royong) into certified technical skills that improve construction quality.

“We don’t want that culture to fade -- we want to strengthen it with knowledge,” Dody said. “By training and certifying students as construction workers, we turn collective spirit into recognized professional expertise.”

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