“We provide digital learning support, using digital whiteboards, and each student receives a laptop as a learning medium within the learning management system. Teachers and educational staff are also equipped with digital-based school management,” the minister said on Monday.
He added that teachers have also been trained in using the learning management system and modules to improve cost and time efficiency.
“We received support from the Al-Hikmah Foundation, a leading school in Surabaya, East Java, which provided a teaching module for all teachers at the Sekolah Rakyat. This truly saved us money and time,” Yusuf added.
He explained that Sekolah Rakyat is designed to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty, expand access to education, guarantee quality education for children from poor and extremely poor families, and ensure inclusive education for all children.
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To date, the government has opened 63 Sekolah Rakyat with 256 study groups and over 6 thousand students. The study groups comprise 3 elementary school classes, 112 junior high school classes, and 141 high school classes.
The 63 locations are spread across the country, with 13 in Sumatra, 34 in Java, 3 in Bali and Nusa Tenggara, 2 in Kalimantan, 8 in Sulawesi, 2 in Maluku, and 1 in Papua.
“Another 37 locations will commence operation at the end of July (2025),” Yusuf added.
Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment, Abdul Muhaimin Iskandar, said that Sekolah Rakyat will not limit students’ interests and potential, but continue to develop them.
For example, the schools will help students inclined toward science strengthen their skills by providing them the space to learn by experiment, he informed.
“Those interested in becoming scientists will certainly be encouraged and given the freedom to experiment,” he added.
Meanwhile, students who are keen to become entrepreneurs will also get an opportunity to develop their business skills, insight, and mindset, he said.
Related news: Sekolah Rakyat promotes equality through free education: Indonesia
Translator: Lintang Budiyanti P, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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