E/CN.4/1995/91/Add.1
page 79
The attainment of this objective has been supported by various core
programmes, to be implemented under the coordination of the Ministry of
Religious Affairs. These programmes are:
1.
The Programme for the Enhancement of the Structure of Religious
Life;
2.
The Programme for Information and Guidance in Religious Life;
3.
The Programme for the Enhancement of the Services of the
Haj Pilgrims;
4.
The Programme for the Management of Religious Education in the
Primary and Secondary Schools;
5.
The Programme for the Management of Religious Teaching in Higher
Education;
6.
The Programme of Education and Training for Religious Staff;
7.
The Programme on the Role of Women;
8.
The Programme on Religious Research.
In addition, the Government, through the Ministry of Education, has
stipulated that the national education system must include compulsory
courses on religion from primary school right through to university
level. While private institutions are given ample opportunity to
establish schools associated with a certain religion, they are prohibited
from barring students of other religious denominations from studying in
such schools.
It is noteworthy that the core programmes emphasize the role of
education as an important element in the comprehensive measures aimed at
achieving the objective set by the Guidelines of State Policy. In this
regard, education, whether from the strict point of view of the academic
curriculum or in the broader context of nation-building, constitutes the
most effective means of enlightening people, especially the young
generation, on the importance of full respect for, and tolerance of,
other religions and their respective disciples, as a part of the cultural
heritage of the Indonesian people.
In this connection, the Government of the Republic of Indonesia
strongly supports the conclusions of the report of the Special Rapporteur
to the Commission on Human Rights at its fiftieth session.
’Education could be the key instrument for combating
discrimination and intolerance. It could contribute decisively
towards instilling the values that focus on human rights and on the
emergence, both among individuals and groups, of attitudes and
behaviour exhibiting tolerance and non-discrimination and thus
participate in disseminating the culture of human rights. The
school has a vital place in the educational system. Therefore,