"We aim to launch Sekolah Rakyat in 16 new locations within the next one or two days, followed by around 40 more at the end of September," he told the press at the Presidential Palace Complex in Jakarta on Friday.
He pointed out that the government faces several challenges in expanding the education program, which targets children from economically disadvantaged families, including facility and infrastructure adequacy, teacher recruitment, and student admission.
The minister said the government is maintaining synergy between key institutions such as the Primary and Secondary Education Ministry, Public Works Ministry, Home Affairs Ministry, and Coordinating Ministry for Community Empowerment to address those obstacles.
He highlighted that the government has been working to expand the coverage of Sekolah Rakyat across all regions of Indonesia to ensure equal access to education, noting that Java Island alone currently hosts 69 such schools.
Earlier, on September 11, President Prabowo Subianto underscored that about 100 Sekolah Rakyat are already operational nationwide, with the number expected to reach 165 between September and October.
"Our plan is to open 100 more schools every year until we reach the target of 500 Sekolah Rakyat," he said during a visit to Senior High Sekolah Rakyat 10 Margaguna in South Jakarta.
He added that the program is primarily intended for children from extremely poor and poor households, corresponding to deciles 1 and 2 in the National Socio-Economic Single Data (DTSEN).
However, the government may expand the program’s scope to include families in deciles 3, 4, and 5 to ensure equitable access to quality education, he noted.
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Translator: Andi F, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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