JAKARTA — President Prabowo Subianto emphasized the strong commitment of his government to breaking the chain of absolute poverty in Indonesia through the People’s School Program.
The program was initiated to provide access to better quality education for children from very low-income families, especially those in deciles 1 and 2 of the National Social and Economic Single Data (DTSEN).
“One of our efforts to break the chain of absolute poverty is to establish People’s Schools,” he said.
“We have successfully built and opened 100 People’s Schools,” the Head of State continued.
“We hope that next year there will be 200. The year after that, 300, and so on,” said President Prabowo in his state address at the 2025 MPR/DPR Annual Session in the Plenary Meeting Room, Parliament Complex, Jakarta.
Going forward, the government aims to build up to 300 People’s Schools evenly distributed throughout Indonesia.
All students will be housed in boarding schools and receive a guaranteed quality education, giving them the opportunity to achieve a better future.
“Children whose parents are poor don’t have to remain poor. This is what we are striving for and working on now,” President Prabowo emphasized.
Regarding this strategic government program, the Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR RI), Ahmad Muzani, viewed the presence of the People’s Schools as a strategic step to ensure equal access to education.
According to him, this initiative is a real solution to ensure that children from underprivileged families do not miss out on opportunities to develop.
“People’s Schools are a strategic solution for underprivileged children who have previously struggled to access quality education,” he said.
“People’s Schools are a way out to open up opportunities for every child of the nation to achieve a better future,” said Ahmad Muzani.
Meanwhile, Minister of Social Affairs Saifullah Yusuf also emphasized that the program continues to grow rapidly.
He stated that by August 2025, People’s Schools will have reached 100 locations and will expand in the near future.
“As of today, there are 100 locations, and there will be an additional 60 in September. In total, 16,000 Elementary School students will begin their studies in 2025 and 2026,” said Saifullah Yusuf.
He added that consolidation is ongoing to improve supporting facilities and infrastructure.
These efforts ensure that Elementary Schools are truly an effective instrument in breaking the cycle of absolute poverty in Indonesia. (*)
