He conveyed the statement during a briefing for 970 teachers and 55 headmasters assigned to manage Sekolah Rakyat sites, held at the ministry's Center for Education, Training, and Profession Development in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Yusuf underlined that the program, one of President Prabowo’s national priorities, is aimed at breaking the cycle of poverty by expanding access to quality education for children from underprivileged families, in pursuit of the Golden Indonesia 2045 vision.
“Mr. President wants to uplift these children, empowering and protecting them through policies that will help them grow capable of contributing to Indonesia’s golden age by 2045,” he said.
Citing data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS), he noted that more than three million school-age children in the country have either never enrolled, dropped out, or are at risk of dropping out.
“Our mission is to reach those at the lowest rungs of society, whose voices often go unheard,” he added.
He described Sekolah Rakyat as a strategic initiative to open opportunities for children from economically disadvantaged families to grow, develop, and progress through education.
“With Sekolah Rakyat, we can expect to see the emergence of new pioneers. This program encourages children to dare to dream,” he said.
Abigael Kelabi, a headmaster of a Sekolah Rakyat in Jayapura, Papua Province, welcomed the initiative and expressed optimism that it would help children build strong character and personal qualities.
“This program guides students toward self-reliance, and its boarding school model fosters a sense of togetherness and solidarity,” Kelabi said.
Since its nationwide launch on July 14, the number of operational Sekolah Rakyat sites has continued to increase, reaching 100 by August. The government aims to establish at least 165 schools by 2025, expected to serve 15,895 students across 641 learning groups.
The program provides free, quality formal, religious, and character education at the elementary, junior high, and senior high school levels.
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Translator: M. Riezko, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Primayanti
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