With 200 schools planned across the archipelago, Sekolah Rakyat is not merely a policy, it is a moral statement. For the 2025/2026 academic year, the government has opened Sekolah Rakyat in 63 locations, with 35 more following by the end of July 2025, and 100 others being prepared.

It says that no child should be denied opportunity because of where they were born or how much their parents earn. It says that education is not a privilege, but a right.

Indonesia’s existing public school system has long struggled with uneven access, underfunded infrastructure and teacher shortages, especially in rural and remote areas. According to the Elementary and Secondary Education Ministry, over 4 million children aged 6 to 18 remain out of school, many due to poverty, geographic isolation or social exclusion.

Sekolah Rakyat seeks to address these gaps head-on. Students are selected based on verified socioeconomic data from the national socio-economic database (DTSEN), ensuring that the program reaches those most in need. Once admitted, students receive not only academic instruction but also housing, meals, health care, digital learning tools and character development.

The curriculum is designed to be holistic, combining national standards with life skills, leadership training and vocational exposure. From elementary to senior high school, students are immersed in a structured environment that fosters discipline, empathy and resilience.

While some critics have dismissed Sekolah Rakyat as a form of social welfare, the program is better understood as a strategic investment in human capital. Indonesia’s demographic dividend, its large, young population, can only be realized if every child has access to quality education.