Jakarta – The public’s enthusiasm for the Sekolah Rakyat (People’s Schools) program further proves that education is a primary need for low-income families. As of early May, over 5,000 registrants have signed up to join the program. The Sekolah Rakyat program aims to provide access to education for children as a step toward breaking the cycle of poverty.
Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf (Gus Ipul) explained that to ensure the program reaches the intended beneficiaries, a strict selection mechanism based on the National Socioeconomic Single Data (DTSEN) has been established.
“So, it’s for those in the extreme poor category or the lowest desil (income quintile). If there are no more from desil one, we will move to desil two. But for now, it’s focused on the extreme poor,” said Gus Ipul.
According to him, the public can register by visiting the 53 Sekolah Rakyat locations that have been prepared. In addition, the Ministry of Social Affairs is also reaching out through social workers in the regions.
Once registration is completed, participants’ administrative documents will be verified, especially concerning their desil status. Before undergoing a health test, the Ministry of Social Affairs team will conduct home visits to ensure that the data in the field aligns with the records. Afterward, participants will undergo health tests, and parents will be asked to commit to supporting their children’s education.
The program is scheduled to start in July 2025, with 53 locations spread across Indonesia. At the initial stage, Sekolah Rakyat will consist of 131 learning groups (rombel), which will accommodate 3,275 students. The composition includes 1 rombel for elementary school (SD), 63 rombel for junior high school (SMP), and 67 rombel for senior high school (SMA). Each rombel will contain about 25 students. The Ministry of Social Affairs hopes that with the establishment of Sekolah Rakyat, more children from poor families will be able to continue their education to higher levels.
Head of the General Bureau at the Ministry of Social Affairs, Salahudin Yahya, mentioned that in addition to expanding the number of locations, intensifying the number of rombel at already prepared locations is also being carried out.
“One location can be increased from two rombel to four, depending on the building’s capacity,” he said.
With this approach, it is estimated that the number of locations will increase to 100 by the end of this quarter, allowing for a student capacity of up to 10,000.
