State Secretariat Minister Prasetyo Hadi said the school renovation plan complements the tuition-free Sekolah Rakyat (People's School) program and reflects the government's commitment to improving the overall quality of national education.
"We are fully aware of the importance of revamping existing schools. Therefore, we have set a target of renovating a minimum of 60,000 schools this year," Hadi told the media in Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan.
Hadi, who also serves as President Prabowo Subianto's spokesperson, said education improvements also include enhancing teachers' welfare and equipping schools with modern facilities.
"We will continue working to improve teachers' welfare while upgrading school facilities, including by distributing interactive flat panels nationwide," he said.
He added that in 2025 the government distributed interactive flat panels to 288,000 schools across the country.
Addressing the Sekolah Rakyat program, Hadi said the initiative is designed as a strategic tool to reduce poverty through inclusive and quality education.
"We must dare to think out of the box to break the cycle of poverty, rather than staying idle and waiting," he said.
On Monday, President Prabowo simultaneously inaugurated 166 Sekolah Rakyat across 34 provinces. The government plans to establish an additional 104 locations in 2026, Hadi said.
"Our objective is to develop ideal Sekolah Rakyat to provide more children with access to education," he added.
Earlier, President Prabowo symbolically launched the operation of 166 Sekolah Rakyat, which provides full-boarding education for children from underprivileged families from elementary to senior high school levels.
He reaffirmed the government's commitment to establishing 500 Sekolah Rakyat by 2029. The program has so far benefited more than 15,000 children, a figure expected to double by the end of this year.
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Translator: Genta T, Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Anton Santoso
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