TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search results
Popular Reads
Top Results
No results found. Please check your search term and try again
Can't find what you're looking for?
View all search resultsConcerns mount over Prabowo’s plan to expand Sekolah Rakyat to 500 schools
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Social Affairs Minister Saifullah “Gus Ipul“ Yusuf delivers remarks during a joint prayer to mark the beginning of 2026 at the Ministry of Social Affairs in Jakarta on Jan. 9, 2026. (Antara/Naufal Khoirulloh)
P
resident Prabowo Subianto’s plan to significantly expand his flagship Sekolah Rakyat (community school) program in the coming years has drawn scrutiny from observers, who caution that rapid growth could come at the expense of measurable learning outcomes.
Speaking during the program’s inauguration event in Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan, on Monday, the President said the government aimed to reach 500 Sekolah Rakyat sites by 2029, expanding from the 166 schools that have completed their first semester under the program.
Each school is designed to accommodate up to 1,000 students from the poorest households, classified in economic deciles one and two.
“My goal is that by the end of my term, children from the poorest households in deciles one and two will have their lives transformed, and that extreme poverty in Indonesia can be eliminated. I believe this is achievable,” Prabowo said.
Initiated by the President to tackle extreme poverty through education, Sekolah Rakyat operates as fully funded boarding institutions, providing free education, meals and accommodation for children from disadvantaged families.
Read also: Govt set to kick off Sekolah Rakyat despite tepid reception
Social Affairs Minister Saifullah “Gus Ipul” Yusuf reported during Monday’s event that nearly 16,000 students had been enrolled across 166 schools nationwide, including children who had never attended school or had previously dropped out due to their families’ financial hardship. Many had begun working at a young age to help support their households.
