Free Public Schools Can Utilize Social Affairs Ministrys Facilities

TheIndonesia.co - Minister of Social Affairs, Saifullah Yusuf, announced that the “Sekolah Rakyat” (People’s School) programme, aimed at providing free education for the poor and vulnerable, can utilize the social centers and facilities owned by his ministry.

“The Ministry of Social Affairs operates several locations that can support the launch of this school programme. In some regions, we have centers and buildings that are ready for use,” Minister Yusuf explained after a meeting with Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai on Tuesday, as reported by Antara News Agency.

The Minister shared that the program's implementation had been carefully studied, with insights gathered from various sources, including Professor Mohammad Nuh, former Minister of National Education from 2009 to 2014. His team also reviewed several schools, including one in Sukoharjo, Central Java, which has been successful in offering educational opportunities to children from extremely poor families.

Yusuf emphasized that he would report his findings regarding the Sukoharjo school and other aspects of the Sekolah Rakyat programme to President Prabowo Subianto, ensuring the initiative aligns with the president’s objectives.

The Minister also stressed the importance of collaboration across ministries and government agencies, including the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, to advance the initiative.

“We aim to break the cycle of poverty through education and provide greater opportunities for children from disadvantaged backgrounds,” he said, highlighting that eligibility for the program will be based on the children’s family poverty status.

The eligibility for Sekolah Rakyat will be determined using data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS), focusing on extremely poor families. According to BPS, the extreme poverty rate as of March 2024 was 0.83 percent of the country’s total population of 281 million.