"Sekolah Rakyat emphasizes equal opportunity over inequality and fosters solidarity rather than unhealthy competition," Yusuf said on Monday.
He stressed that the program is designed to nurture smart and socially equal students.
Yusuf noted that Sekolah Rakyat would not have been possible without collaboration across sectors, involving various stakeholders working together to ensure its success.
"This is a massive undertaking. The President even issued Presidential Instruction No. 8 of 2025, mandating this task to be implemented collaboratively," he stated.
The minister outlined the program's three core principles, as formulated by the Formation Team. The first is honoring the common people.
"This includes the underprivileged — those who are often forgotten, whose voices go unheard, those living in poverty, and whose children have dropped out of school, are not yet in school, or are at risk of missing out on education," he explained.
Yusuf said that Sekolah Rakyat offers high-quality facilities, excellent services, and dignity to marginalized communities, while instilling confidence that they are equal and empowered — all fully supported by the state.
The second principle is reaching the unreachable.
"Sekolah Rakyat is designed to reach the most disadvantaged levels of society — those left behind and excluded from the development process, and those who cannot compete in conventional systems," he said.
The third principle, Yusuf added, is making the impossible possible — providing hope, sparking aspirations, and helping turn dreams into reality.
Initiated by President Prabowo Subianto, Sekolah Rakyat aims to give poor families access to quality education. The boarding school program is free of charge and spans elementary, junior high, and senior high school levels.
Students will attend formal lessons during the day, and receive character-building education in the evenings. Religious values, leadership training, and life skills form an essential part of the curriculum, Yusuf said.
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Translator: Lintang Budiyanti Prameswari, Katriana
Editor: Anton Santoso
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