HEAD OF THE REGIONAL OFFICE OF THE MINISTRY OF RELIGIOUS AFFAIRS OF PAPUA VISITS SMTK SETIA MERAUKE

On Tuesday, April 2, 2024, the Head of the Regional Office of the Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kakanwil Kemenag) of Papua Province, Rev. Klemens Taran, S.Ag., made an important visit to Setia Merauke Christian Theological High School (SMTK) in South Papua. This visit aims to see firsthand the condition of schools and provide encouragement for the development of education in the area. The presence of Kakanwil in the visit was also accompanied by the head of Christian education at the Regional Office of the Ministry of Religion of Papua, Yokbet Griapon; the head of the Merauke Regency Office of the Ministry of Religion, Gabriel Retobyaan; and the head of the Merauke Ministry of Religion Christian Guidance, Yohana Rama. They were warmly welcomed by the head of SMTK, Fredik Masneno, as well as teachers who were supervising the midterm exam (UTS) at the school. Kakanwil Taran expressed his concern about the condition of Smtk Setia Merauke, which has limited facilities, with only two learning classrooms (RKB) and one teacher's room. He hopes that in the future, the status of schools currently managed by the foundation can be upgraded to state schools so that the facilities and quality of education can be improved. Fredik Masneno, as head of SMTK, welcomed the arrival of Kakanwil and his entourage. He hopes that the visit will bring fresh air to the development of his school. Related to the proposal of Smtk Setia, Masneno stated that he would discuss it with the foundation to get further consideration. During the visit, the Public Relations team of the Regional Office of the Papua Ministry of Religion who accompanied Kakanwil observed that access to the school was rather difficult, especially during the rainy season because it had to go through a simple plank bridge to avoid puddles. At that time, the ongoing UTS at Smtk Setia Merauke had a number of examinees as many as 25 students, divided into Class X as many as 8 students, Class XI as many as 14 students, and Class XII as many as 3 students. The visit of the Regional Coordinator of the Ministry of Religion of Papua to Smtk Setia Merauke provides new hope for the development of education in the region, with efforts to improve the quality and educational facilities for the young generation of South Papua.