Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs (Kemkomdigi) believes that the ongoing Sekolah Rakyat (People’s School) program, which provides free education, has the potential to break the cycle of poverty in the country.

“Sekolah Rakyat is currently in the process of developing 100 model schools that could break the poverty cycle,” said Director General of Public Communication and Media at the ministry, Fifi Aleyda Yahya, on Saturday.

Children enrolled in the Sekolah Rakyat program attend boarding schools with the consent and support of their parents. The schools accommodate students across all basic education levels —elementary (SD), junior high (SMP), and senior high school (SMA).

“With full consent from their parents, the children live in dormitories to pursue their education. God willing, these children will one day elevate the lives of their families,” Fifi said.

Sekolah Rakyat is a flagship program initiated by President Prabowo Subianto, aimed at providing quality education to children from poor and extremely poor households, as listed in Deciles 1 and 2 of the National Socio-Economic Single Data (DTSEN).

Students at Sekolah Rakyat receive formal education during the day and character education in the evening. In addition to academic subjects, the curriculum also covers religious values, leadership training, and life skills.

According to data from the Ministry of Social Affairs, which is responsible for implementing the program, 165 pilot Sekolah Rakyat campuses are set to be operational this year—100 of which have already opened in July and August.

The first phase of construction includes schools across Indonesia: 22 in Sumatra, 48 in Java, four in Bali and Nusa Tenggara, four in Kalimantan, 15 in Sulawesi, four in Maluku, and three in Papua.

On Friday, August 22, President Prabowo Subianto delivered a briefing to principals and teachers of Sekolah Rakyat in Jakarta, attended by 154 principals and 2,221 teachers.

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