"There is something new that we all hope for: establishing People's Schools in transmigration areas. We are starting to explore and identify them," Minister of Social Affairs, Saifullah Yusuf, stated.
Yusuf delivered the statement after receiving a working visit from Minister of Transmigration M. Iftitah Sulaiman Suryanagara at the Ministry of Social Affairs Office in Jakarta on Thursday.
People's Schools are a priority program of President Prabowo Subianto, targeting children from poor and extremely poor families who lack access to formal education and are categorized as Deciles 1 and 2 in the National Socioeconomic Single Data (DTSEN).
According to Yusuf, the plan to establish People's Schools would be one strategy for strengthening education and ensuring equitable development in underdeveloped areas, as reflected in the Minister of Transmigration's commitment to support the initiative.
"Statistics Indonesia (BPS) records that more than 3 million school-age children are not yet attending school or are at risk of dropping out, including in underdeveloped, frontier, and outermost (3T) areas. They are often unheard and unseen. The president wants us to focus on these children," he remarked.
Transmigration Minister Suryanagara expressed his full support for the program, stating that his office would promptly identify priority locations for building People's Schools in transmigration areas.
Some areas mentioned as being prepared include East Nusa Tenggara and Papua.
He explained that development in transmigration areas is currently aimed at creating centers of economic growth and employment. In that context, education is key to empowering local communities to be self-reliant and sustainable.
"People's Schools will be particularly relevant for areas with extreme poverty levels. With inter-ministerial collaboration, the program's effectiveness will increase, and development will truly reach those most in need," he stated.
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Translator: M Riezko Bima Elko Prasetyo, Martha Herlinawati Si
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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