President Prabowo Encourages Garuda’s Flagship Schools to Advance Indonesia’s Young Generation
By: Deka Prawira)
Under the administration of President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the direction of national development has begun to take on a new face, one that prioritizes the quality of human resources. One of the most prominent initiatives is the establishment of the Garuda Excellence School, a national strategic program designed to produce a superior young generation with strong character and prepared to compete globally. This program is not merely an educational project, but a concrete manifestation of the grand vision of Golden Indonesia 2045—an ideal to make this nation sovereign, advanced, and dignified through the intellectual strength of its children.
President Prabowo emphasized that the nation’s future success will not be determined solely by its wealth of natural resources, but also by the ability of Indonesian children to manage and develop them through science and technology. He believes that Indonesia has many talented children in various remote areas, and the state’s responsibility is to identify them, educate them, and provide them with the space to develop without economic and social barriers. This view formed the basis for the creation of the Garuda School—an internationally recognized high school educational institution designed with a boarding system, a global curriculum, and a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) approach.
This program not only targets children from urban areas, but also reaches disadvantaged, frontier, and outermost (3T) areas. With two main schemes, namely the New Garuda School and the Garuda Transformation School, the government wants to ensure that every Indonesian child has an equal opportunity to receive the best education. The New Garuda School will be built in the 3T area, while the Garuda Transformation School is the result of improving the quality of existing superior schools to align with international standards. As of October 2025, there will be 16 Garuda Excellence Schools in operation—12 of which are transformation schools, and four others are new schools in the 3T area.
Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, Stella Christie, called the Garuda School a strategic breakthrough in realizing an inclusive and adaptive education system. She emphasized that President Prabowo’s vision is not merely to produce smart students, but also to build a generation that is innovative, nationalistic, and resilient in facing changing times. The government, she continued, believes that potential future Einsteins and Marie Curies can emerge from every corner of Indonesia—from Sabang to Merauke, even from humble beginnings. This view reflects the egalitarian spirit of education: that intelligence and talent are not the property of a select few, but the right of all children of the nation.
Meanwhile, Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture, Pratikno, emphasized that equitable access to superior education is a primary government focus. He stated that expanding access and improving the quality of learning are two sides of the same coin. Through Garuda Schools, the government strives to prepare Indonesian children for technological disruption while simultaneously fostering a strong national character.
Support for this program has also come from various groups. Dr. Muhdi, Chairman of the Central Java branch of the Indonesian Teachers Association (PGRI), called the Garuda School a visionary initiative highly relevant to the needs of the times. He believes the government’s move to provide a space for talented and high-achieving children demonstrates appreciation for the potential of the younger generation, which is often hampered by economic constraints. This is especially important given that the principle of educational equity is maintained, ensuring that all children have equal opportunities to develop.
With international standards like the International Baccalaureate (IB), Garuda School is expected to produce graduates accepted into world-renowned universities like Harvard, MIT, and Oxford. Furthermore, these graduates are expected to return to serve the nation, becoming scientists, engineers, and innovators who independently manage Indonesia’s natural resources. President Prabowo even called Garuda School a long-term investment to produce Nobel Prize winners from Indonesia—a generation capable of bringing this nation to the world stage not just as a market, but as a creator of global innovation.
In a social context, the presence of the Garuda School also holds significant symbolic value. It is proof that the government is not remaining silent in the face of educational inequality that has long limited the social mobility of lower-income communities. With a boarding system and full scholarships, children from low-income families now have an equal opportunity to advance to international levels of education without the burden of costs. Herein lies the true meaning of social justice in education—when the state is present not merely as a service provider, but as a driver of change.
The Garuda Excellence School is not just a physical development project, but rather the embodiment of the nation’s collective determination to educate the people, as mandated by the constitution. In the long term, this school will become a center of excellence, preparing young people with global competencies, national character, and strong leadership. It’s an investment that may not yield immediate results today, but it will shape Indonesia’s future—a great nation standing tall among world civilizations thanks to the intelligence and integrity of its generation.
And from every classroom of Garuda School, we place our hope: it is there that future leaders, outstanding scientists, and young patriots are being born who will carry the Red and White flag flying at the pinnacle of world progress.
)* The author is a contributor to the Pertiwi Institute
