Jakarta, March 25, 2025 – The Europe Today: President Prabowo Subianto convened several ministers of the Red and White Cabinet at the Presidential Palace on Monday to discuss preparations for the development of special schools under the Sekolah Rakyat (People’s Schools) program.
“Acknowledging that every citizen has the right to better education, the government plans to establish these schools in every region in need,” stated Coordinating Minister of Community Empowerment, Muhaimin Iskandar, during a press briefing at the palace.
To implement this national initiative, the central government will collaborate with regional administrations, which will provide land plots or buildings for the schools. These institutions aim to serve children from underprivileged families, ensuring access to quality education.
Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian confirmed Iskandar’s statements, noting that several regional leaders have proposed potential locations for the schools. Minister of Social Affairs, Saifullah Yusuf, also briefed President Prabowo on key aspects of the program, including the readiness of infrastructure, student admissions, and teacher recruitment.
He further disclosed that the central government has identified over 200 potential locations for the initiative, including assets managed by the Social Affairs Ministry and sites proposed by provincial, district, and municipal governments.
“The identified sites include both buildings and vacant parcels of land. Following assessment, we have confirmed that 53 sites are ready for this program, most of which belong to the Social Affairs Ministry,” Yusuf explained.
During a plenary Cabinet meeting on March 21, 2025, President Prabowo announced the government’s target to build 200 boarding schools at the elementary, junior high, and senior high school levels under the Sekolah Rakyat program this year.
Of the 200 planned schools, 53 are slated for inauguration within the next three months, he stated.
The President emphasized that this target will be an annual commitment, with the government aiming to establish 200 people’s schools each year. By the end of his presidency in 2029, the goal is to have at least one such school in every district across the country.
