1,000 Military Cadets to Train Students and Teachers at 'Sekolah Rakyat' Starting August

The Ministry of Social Affairs, in collaboration with the Indonesian Military (TNI), is preparing a character-building programme for students of Sekolah Rakyat (People’s Schools). Under the programme, around 1,000 cadets from the Military Academy (Akmil) will be deployed to train both students and teachers starting in August 2026. This was revealed during a meeting between Deputy Minister of Social Affairs Agus Jabo Priyono, TNI Academy Commander General Lieutenant General R. Sidiharta Wisnu Graha, and other military officials at the Ministry of Social Affairs office in Central Jakarta on Wednesday. Agus Jabo stated that five cadets are planned to be assigned to each Sekolah Rakyat to guide students and teachers on matters of neatness. He explained that this guidance is crucial for shaping student character to be more disciplined and tidy, noting that neatness is a matter of particular attention for President Prabowo Subianto. ‘Since the beginning, the Minister of Social Affairs Saifullah Yusuf has emphasised that transitioning from old habits to a new environment at Sekolah Rakyat requires guidance,’ he said. Agus Jabo added that the ministry had long requested the involvement of the TNI and Polri in the coaching process, and the programme aligns with Presidential Instruction Number 8 of 2025. TNI Academy Commander General Lieutenant General R. Sidiharta Wisnu Graha confirmed that approximately 1,000 first- and second-level cadets, along with their supervisors, would be dispatched to 178 Sekolah Rakyat locations. The TNI Headquarters and the Ministry of Social Affairs are currently finalising the scheme, with the programme scheduled to commence in early August 2026 for a one-week period. Wisnu disclosed that the training materials will include practical skills such as ironing uniforms, tidying bed sheets, organising wardrobes, and polishing shoes.