During a visit to Senior High Sekolah Rakyat 10 Margaguna in South Jakarta, on Thursday, he noted that around 100 schools are already operational nationwide, with the number expected to reach 165 by the end of September.
"Our plan is to open 100 more schools every year until we achieve the target of 500 Sekolah Rakyat," Prabowo stated.
The president underlined that these schools are primarily intended to meet the educational needs of children from families categorized as extremely poor and poor, respectively corresponding to deciles 1 and 2 in the National Socio-Economic Single Data (DTSEN).
However, he added that the government may expand the program's scope to include families in deciles 3, 4, and 5 to ensure equitable access to quality education.
"We are planning this expansion in hopes of providing access to quality education for all our children. We cannot afford to trail behind other nations," he affirmed.
Officially launched on July 14 this year, the Sekolah Rakyat program is designed as a strategic effort to break the cycle of poverty through free, high-quality formal, character, and religious education in tuition-free boarding schools.
Sekolah Rakyat is integrated with other national priority initiatives, such as the Free Health Check program, Free Nutritious Meals program, Red and White Cooperatives program, and the Three Million Homes program.
The Ministry of Social Affairs has set a target of opening 165 Sekolah Rakyat sites nationwide in the 2025–2026 academic year to serve 15,895 children across elementary, junior high, and senior high schools. These schools are projected to employ 2,407 teachers.
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Translator: Andi F/Mentari D, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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