“The construction of People’s Schools is not just about building classrooms, but about shaping the future of Indonesia’s children," he said in Jakarta on Wednesday.
In collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Ministry of Public Works is committed to delivering these educational facilities swiftly and with quality, so they can be used for the 2025–2026 academic year, he added.
The Ministry of Public Works is continuing to demonstrate its commitment to improving the quality of national education by developing infrastructure for People’s Schools in several regions.
The People’s School program is one of the priority initiatives introduced by President Prabowo Subianto to provide free, high-quality education for children from poor and extremely poor families.
Hanggodo said that, in line with the President’s directive, the government aims to build 100 People’s Schools annually, covering educational levels from elementary to secondary schools. Each school will accommodate between 75 and 150 students.
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“For Phase 1C of the People’s School Program, out of 167 proposed pilot school locations (122 from Vocational Training Centers and 45 from local governments), only 50 schools passed the Ministry of Public Works’ verification process,” he explained.
Of the 50 schools, 49 are being funded using the national budget (APBN) and one via a regional budget (APBD) allocation. Meanwhile, 9 newly proposed locations are currently being prepared. These were selected from 19 proposals.
“The construction progress is showing positive results, with physical development reaching 60.93 percent as of August 4, 2025. We are targeting completion by the end of August this year,” the minister informed.
Through the Directorate General of Strategic Infrastructure, the ministry has carried out both minor and moderate renovations at pilot schools.
The scope of work included painting and renovating classrooms, dormitories, and other rooms; installing electricity and water systems; and providing furniture to support learning and accommodation needs of students attending the pilot schools.
Technical phases such as planning, execution, and construction supervision began in June 2025 to ensure that the Phase 1C schools will be ready for use on schedule.
“With strong collaboration between ministries and regional governments, the People’s School program is expected to become a key pillar for developing human resources to support a progressive Indonesia,” Hanggodo added.
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Translator: Primayanti
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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