Jakarta – The Sekolah Rakyat (People’s School) program continues to demonstrate its role as a strategic government instrument in providing quality education for children from underprivileged families. The program not only opens access to free education, but is also designed to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty through a boarding school–based educational approach integrated with other social assistance programs.
Minister of Social Affairs Saifullah Yusuf emphasized that Sekolah Rakyat represents a tangible manifestation of the government’s commitment to poverty alleviation through education. According to him, the existence of Sekolah Rakyat reflects the state’s seriousness in ensuring that children from disadvantaged families receive equal access to quality education.
“Sekolah Rakyat is the government’s commitment to alleviating poverty through quality education,” Saifullah Yusuf said.
He expressed appreciation for the implementation of Sekolah Rakyat in Probolinggo City, which he considered effective and capable of serving as a model for other regions. This success, he noted, is inseparable from strong synergy between the central government, local governments, and all elements of school management.
To ensure the program runs as expected, the Ministry of Social Affairs regularly conducts direct field monitoring. This step is taken to assess the effectiveness of implementation while ensuring that Sekolah Rakyat is integrated with existing social assistance schemes.
“The visit is to ensure that the implementation of the Sekolah Rakyat program is effective and integrated with other social assistance programs,” Saifullah Yusuf explained.
He added that the government is committed to continuous evaluation and improvement so that the quality of education at Sekolah Rakyat continues to improve over time.
“The visit also reaffirms the government’s commitment to alleviating poverty by providing free, high-quality boarding education for children from underprivileged families,” he said.
Saifullah Yusuf also praised the learning atmosphere at Sekolah Rakyat in Probolinggo. The positive interaction between the school principal, teachers, and students was seen as a key indicator of the program’s success.
“Today, we can see how the principal, teachers, and students interact very well. This is certainly inseparable from the support of the mayor and all related parties. The results show strong collaboration,” he said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Social Affairs Agus Jabo Priyono emphasized that Sekolah Rakyat is designed as a state instrument to break the intergenerational transmission of poverty. According to him, children’s education must go hand in hand with parental empowerment to ensure sustainable impact.
“Sekolah Rakyat is a state instrument to break poverty. The future direction of children who graduate must be clear, so they do not fall back into poverty. That is what we are preparing together,” Agus Jabo said.*