Prabowo, ministers discuss how to advance Sekolah Rakyat

Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Prabowo Subianto summoned several ministers of the Red and White Cabinet to the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, 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," Coordinating Minister of Community Empowerment, Muhaimin Iskandar, told the media at the palace.

In implementing the national program, he said, the central government will synergize with regional administrations that will prepare land plots or buildings for the establishment of the schools, which are intended to cater to the educational needs of children from underprivileged families.

Also at the palace, Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian corroborated Iskandar's statements, saying that several regional leaders have suggested potential locations for the schools.

Meanwhile, Minister of Social Affairs, Saifullah Yusuf, disclosed his intention to brief President Prabowo on several matters, ranging from the readiness of the requisite facilities and infrastructure to student admissions and teacher recruitment.

He also highlighted that the central government has identified over 200 potential locations for the program, including assets managed by the Social Affairs Ministry and sites proposed by provincial, district, and municipal governments.

"The identified sites comprise buildings and vacant parcels of land. Upon assessment, we have declared 53 sites to be ready for this program, most of which are assets belonging to the Social Affairs Ministry," he pointed out.

During a plenary Cabinet meeting on March 21, 2025, President Prabowo announced the government's target of building 200 boarding schools at elementary, junior high, and senior high levels under the Sekolah Rakyat program this year.

Of the 200 planned schools, 53 have been targeted for inauguration within the next three months, he said.

The President underlined that this year's target will be annual, meaning the government aims to establish 200 people's schools every year to ensure that every district has at least one such school by the end of his presidency in 2029.