Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto emphasized the government's commitment to establishing free boarding schools for underprivileged families as a strategic effort to break the chain of poverty in Indonesia.
This was conveyed by the president in his speech at the 2026 World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday.
According to Prabowo, poverty is often passed down from one generation to the next. Therefore, the state must be present to provide equal access to education to ensure a better future.
"We have already built 166 of a total of 500 boarding schools. Our goal is to break the cycle of poverty. Usually, the children of poor farmers will remain poor farmers. The son of a garbage collector will be a garbage collector. I am determined to break that cycle of poverty," he said.
Through this program, the president said, the Indonesian government wants to ensure that children from the most vulnerable groups receive a quality education, a decent learning environment, and equal opportunities to transform their future.
The Head of State also announced plans to renovate 60,000 schools and build 1,000 modern integrated schools as part of the national education transformation.
This step is believed to strengthen the quality of human resources and also accelerate social mobility. Furthermore, this policy aligns with poverty alleviation and economic empowerment programs.
Prabowo added that extreme poverty in Indonesia is currently at its lowest point in history, and the government has a target to eradicate extreme poverty within the next four years.
"The task for a leader, as my teachers said, is very simple: to make the poor and vulnerable groups smile. That is my life's mission," the president said.
Prabowo emphasized that all government social policies are aimed at encouraging productivity and sustainable growth, including a free health check program to reduce long-term healthcare costs.
Thus, Indonesia will be able to build a future that is more just, inclusive, and free from structural poverty.
