Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto launched the tuition-free education program Sekolah Rakyat (People’s School) to provide equal access to quality education for economically disadvantaged children, Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf emphasized.
“President Prabowo dedicates Sekolah Rakyat to underprivileged families, ensuring that all Indonesian children can attend school. This is certainly a noble initiative,” he remarked while hosting officials from Lima Puluh Kota District, West Sumatra, at his office in Jakarta on Thursday (September 11).
As cited from a statement on Friday, the minister urged regions, including Lima Puluh Kota, to actively contribute to implementing the program in order to break the cycle of poverty.
On that note, he encouraged Lima Puluh Kota District Head Safni Sikumbang to begin executing the national initiative by preparing and opening temporary people’s schools using available sites or buildings.
“If you have an idle building, you can transform it into a pioneering Sekolah Rakyat. Just admit 50 pupils first, and we will help establish a permanent school later,” Yusuf said, while highlighting the importance of talent mapping to support students’ optimal development.
Further underscoring the program’s significance, the minister played a video showcasing inspiring stories of Sekolah Rakyat students—Sofia from Kupang and Saifuddin from Banjarmasin—who shared how the program rekindled their hopes for a better future despite economic hardship.
“There are nearly four million school-age children across Indonesia facing similar struggles,” he noted after the video.
Bearing that in mind, he reiterated the need for regional governments to recognize Sekolah Rakyat’s importance and to exert all-out efforts to support it.
“Sekolah Rakyat is a golden bridge leading our children toward their dreams,” Yusuf explained.
“This program will help children become teachers, entrepreneurs, police officers, doctors, or soldiers,” he added
For his part, Lima Puluh Kota District Head Sikumbang expressed appreciation to the Social Affairs Ministry for its encouragement.
“We are very motivated to promptly implement Sekolah Rakyat in our region. We ask for your full support, sir,” he told Yusuf.
