Accelerating the Digitalization of People’s Schools, the Government Establishes Cross-Sector Collaboration
By: Laras Indah Sari
The government under the leadership of President Prabowo Subianto continues to accelerate efforts to digitize national education through the People’s School program. The cross-sector collaboration scheme has also been intensified to realize a comprehensive digital transformation in the implementation of education programs for the poor and extreme poor.
The Ministry of Social Affairs is collaborating with PT Bank Negara Indonesia (Persero) Tbk or BNI to accelerate the digitalization of the governance of People’s Schools. BNI’s support will include a digital administration system for students and teachers starting from the process of accepting new students, student smart cards, electronic attendance, to an integrated Learning Management System (LMS).
In addition, BNI is also preparing a management system for the distribution of funds from the Ministry of Social Affairs to schools, teacher payroll, partner transactions such as catering and laundry, as well as a school financial monitoring dashboard that all use a cashless system through QRIS and BNIdirect.
Minister of Social Affairs Saifullah Yusuf or Gus Ipul assessed that digitalization is an important key to modernizing the governance of People’s Schools. According to him, digitalization of administration will make school management more efficient, transparent, and minimize budget leaks.
Through the dashboard, the government can directly monitor attendance data, student nutritional consumption, and the school’s financial condition in real time. The BNI digital system is expected to be realized and tested immediately so that it can be used directly during the student orientation period which will start on July 14. Currently, the building renovation process has been completed, teachers have been prepared, and the next step is the installation of equipment, student cards, attendance systems, and an integrated reporting dashboard.
The People’s School program is present as a form of government intervention to break the chain of structural poverty through education. People’s Schools are specifically designed to reach children from families in deciles 1 and 2 in the National Socio-Economic Single Data (DTSEN) who have been living in extreme limitations.
Many of them live in small rented houses with a family income of only around IDR 35 thousand per day, some even occupy land owned by other people without clear ownership status. This condition shows how the People’s School program is very relevant and urgent to be implemented quickly.
The People’s School will use a boarding school system with elementary, junior high, and high school levels. All student needs ranging from uniforms, food, housing, to school supplies are fully covered by the state. Gus Ipul emphasized that children from the poorest families must be able to attend school well, grow up healthy, and later become agents of change in their environment.
In addition to the Ministry of Social Affairs and BNI, the Ministry of Communication and Digital (Kemkomdigi) also plays an important role in ensuring the acceleration of the digitalization of the People’s School. The Director General of Digital Infrastructure of the Ministry of Communication and Digital, Wayan Toni Supriyanto, stated that digital education will be realized when devices, networks, and social justice work together.
The government is trying to ensure that all Indonesian children have the same opportunities to learn and develop. According to Wayan, the presence of fast internet at the People’s School is proof that digital transformation should not leave anyone behind. The digital infrastructure prepared by the Ministry of Communication and Digital is expected to be able to support People’s Schools in producing superior generations towards Golden Indonesia 2045.
Wayan added that the success of the digitalization of education through People’s Schools can be realized thanks to the leadership of President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka who place equal education and digital transformation as national priorities. With the support of various parties, People’s Schools are expected to truly produce a generation that is independent, intelligent, and ready to compete at the global level.
On a separate occasion, Minister of Communication and Digital Meutya Hafid also emphasized her ministry’s commitment to supporting the acceleration of the digitalization of People’s Schools. Meutya handed over fast internet service assistance for two People’s Schools in the Special Region of Yogyakarta.
According to her, the smart school concept in People’s Schools requires adequate digital infrastructure support. In Bantul Regency, people’s schools receive 100 Mbps internet service to support the learning activities of 75 students from three study groups. Meanwhile, in Sleman Regency, internet service with a speed of 200 Mbps will be utilized by 200 students from five regencies/cities in the province.
Meutya assessed that the presence of fast internet in public schools will fully support digital and modern-based teaching and learning activities. Public schools will integrate technology in the learning process, administration, and student supervision so thatngga education governance becomes more transparent and measurable.
With cross-sectoral collaboration between the Ministry of Social Affairs, BNI, and Kemkomdigi, the acceleration of the digitalization of Sekolah Rakyat will be an important milestone in the history of Indonesian education. The program not only presents physical buildings, but also an educational ecosystem that is adaptive to the digital era. The presence of technology will accelerate the improvement of the quality of education and make it easier for the government to monitor and evaluate programs on an ongoing basis.
Ultimately, the acceleration of the digitalization of Sekolah Rakyat shows the government’s commitment to providing quality and equal education for all Indonesian people. Strong cross-sectoral collaboration will ensure that children from extremely poor families have the same opportunity to achieve a better future, be globally competitive, and become the backbone of Indonesia Emas 2045. (*)
Public Policy Observer – Bentang Nusantara Public Policy Study Institute
