Bogor – The government continues to strengthen its commitment to improving equitable and inclusive access to education through the expansion of People’s School (Sekolah Rakyat) development at several strategic locations across various regions. This policy forms part of the state’s efforts to ensure that all segments of society, particularly underprivileged groups and communities in disadvantaged areas, can access proper and high-quality education services.
President Prabowo Subianto stated that the goal of national development is not merely to achieve high-income country status, but to ensure that the quality of life of the people genuinely improves.
The President made this statement before participants of the 2026 National Coordination Meeting of the Central and Regional Governments at the Sentul International Convention Centre (SICC).
“Our criteria are progress and modernity, where all people experience a good quality of life. We do not dream of living like other countries. We simply want all our people to live with a good quality of life,” Prabowo said.
In advancing human resource development, President Prabowo specifically explained that the People’s School initiative is an innovation rarely implemented in many countries. The program targets children from the most underprivileged groups by enrolling them in boarding schools, with the aim of truly lifting them out of the cycle of poverty. As a miniature model of a poverty alleviation program, the parents of People’s School students are also empowered and involved in national priority programs.
“Children from the most disadvantaged groups are enrolled in boarding schools. We provide them with the best education. Children who would otherwise have no opportunity to attend school—we take them all. There must be no children on the streets who are not in school,” Prabowo emphasized.
To date, pilot People’s Schools have been operating at 166 locations across 131 regencies/cities and 34 provinces. These schools are distributed across Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Bali–Nusa Tenggara, Maluku, and Papua. By 2029, the government aims to have 500 People’s Schools operating nationwide, with the capacity to accommodate up to 500,000 children from the most vulnerable families.
According to President Prabowo, this expansion can only be realized through close collaboration between the central and regional governments, including site preparation, provision of basic services, and strengthening of the surrounding social ecosystem.
The government affirmed that it will continue to evaluate and develop the People’s School program to ensure it becomes increasingly adaptive to community needs. Through broader and more equitable access to education, social disparities are expected to be reduced, and the national aspiration to educate the life of the nation can be tangibly realized.