Bandung (ANTARA) – Indonesia’s Social Affairs Ministry aims to build 500 permanent People’s School (Sekolah Rakyat) facilities across the country over the next three to four years to expand access to education for children from low-income families.
Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf said during a visit to a People’s School in Bandung District, West Java, on Tuesday that the program aimed to establish permanent facilities in every regency and city, serving students from elementary through high school.
“Within the next three to four years, we aim to have 500 permanent facilities like this across Indonesia, capable of accommodating more than one million students,” Yusuf said.
He noted that more than 44,000 students were currently enrolled at 182 People’s School locations nationwide, 93 of which were already operating in permanent buildings.
According to Yusuf, constructing these facilities would require support from local governments, particularly in providing seven to eight hectares of land for classrooms and essential student facilities.
He explained that the program targets children from low-income families classified in Deciles 1 and 2, representing the lowest-income groups. It also serves children who have never attended school or have dropped out.
“Students at the People’s School come from diverse backgrounds and have varying habits,” Yusuf said.
He added that students begin their studies with a matriculation period lasting more than three months. The period is designed to bring students’ academic abilities to a comparable level while incorporating educational, rehabilitative, and social empowerment approaches tailored to their individual needs.
In addition to expanding access to education, the government is integrating family empowerment initiatives, including assistance to improve housing conditions and strengthen household economic capacity, helping parents become more financially independent.
“As of today, more than 7,000 parents of students have received assistance to improve their homes, while more than 160,000 families have benefited from empowerment programs run by the Social Affairs Ministry,” Yusuf said.
The government is also supporting digital learning by providing laptops for students and teachers and introducing digital whiteboards, or smartboards, in classrooms.
More than 15,000 laptops had been distributed for the 2025 academic year, with an additional 30,000 units planned for distribution in 2026.
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Translator: Ilham Nugraha, Cindy Frishanti Octavia
Editor: M Razi Rahman
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