Expanding the Improvement of Quality and Access to Education, People’s Schools are Right on Target
By: Dian Cahyo Purnama
The government under the leadership of President Prabowo Subianto continues to demonstrate a strong commitment to providing quality education for all levels of Indonesian society, especially for those in the lower classes through the People’s School program.
This program is designed not only to provide learning facilities, but also as a concrete step to be able to break the chain of structural poverty that has ensnared millions of poor and extremely poor families in Indonesia.
Responding to the implementation of the program, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Robben Rico, emphasized that the success of the People’s Schools is indeed very dependent on the active involvement of the local government. For him, collaboration with local governments is one of the absolute requirements so that the cross-ministerial program becomes much more targeted and sustainable.
Robben said that the People’s School is a direct mandate from the issuance of Presidential Instruction Number 8 of 2025, which places the education sector as the spearhead for realizing social transformation.
In his view, the People’s School program is not only able to open access to free education for children from underprivileged families, but is also able to present long-term social interventions.
Robben said, in order to guarantee the quality of education, the government has formed a Teachers’ Council and a Quality Assurance Team that works across sectors. Two important things that need to be prepared by the regional government are the readiness of the pioneering land and also how to have a strong commitment in providing permanent land, at least five to eight hectares to ensure the sustainability of the program in the long term.
In addition, Robben emphasized that the direction of the Minister of Social Affairs Saifullah Yusuf or Gus Ipul, who placed the People’s School as a model of education based on social empowerment. According to Gus Ipul, education cannot be separated from the mission of poverty alleviation.
Therefore, the People’s School program is designed as a community-based alternative education center with a holistic approach that combines formal education, work skills, and social assistance.
Gus Ipul invited all elements of society to participate in supervising the implementation of the People’s School. For him, broad collaboration is very important for the program to run well and sustainably.
He assessed that input, criticism, and community support are important in ensuring that the People’s School becomes an effective solution to education and poverty problems. The Ministry of Social Affairs will also utilize technology, such as CCTV, to ensure the safety and comfort of students.
Not only that, supervision will be carried out through the system and curriculum that is implemented, including involving the Ministry of Religion, the Ministry of PPPA, and KPAI to develop a student protection mechanism.
The People’s School will adopt the national curriculum with local adjustments that are specifically designed to be relevant to the needs of students. The multi-entry multi-exit system that is implemented allows flexibility for students with various backgrounds. This approach is very important because the People’s School uses a boarding system, so student protection and comfort must be the main priority.
In the initial stage of implementation, the People’s School will operate at 100 points with a target of accommodating 9,755 students from elementary, junior high to high school levels, supported by 1,554 teachers and 3,390 educators.
In addition, the Ministry of Social Affairs is preparing 100 additional points by utilizing the Ministry of Manpower’s Job Training Center and 45 buildings owned by local governments. The next wave will include 424 study groups with a total of 10,600 students, 2,180 teachers, and 4,069 educators.
According to Robben, the existence of the People’s School is a targeted step because it directly touches the most vulnerable community groups. He believes that educational investment through this program can open a way out of poverty, while improving the quality of Indonesia’s human resources in the long term.
The People’s School is an important innovation because it combines educational functions with strengthening the social and economic family. Children not only get formal education, but also work skills and character building to face life’s challenges.
Gus Ipul also emphasized the importance of internal and external supervision. According to him, the People’s School is a real manifestation of President Prabowo’s commitment to honoring the lowest economic community groups, namely deciles 1 and 2 in the National Socio-Economic Single Data. The program is expected to be able to provide educational justice, open up space for social mobility, and create an independent and competitive generation.
Furthermore, the People’s School does notnot only presenting the construction of physical buildings, but also ensuring the quality of teaching, character building, and provision of skills that are relevant to future needs.
Dormitory facilities, consumption, and vocational training are presented as a form of the comprehensive presence of the state. This program also creates opportunities for teachers and educators to contribute to producing the next generation of the nation with superior competencies.
Ultimately, the implementation of the People’s School shows that the government is not only focused on building educational infrastructure, but also ensuring that every Indonesian child has the same opportunity to achieve their dreams.
When the quality and access to education are successfully guaranteed, then the road will be wide open for the birth of a future generation of Indonesia that is intelligent, resilient, has noble morals, and is ready to compete in a challenging global era.
Social Policy Observer – Madani Institute Social Institution
