Bengkulu's 'Sekolah Rakyat' Ready to Operate for 2026 Academic Year

The construction of a Sekolah Rakyat in Sukarami Village, Bengkulu City, has reached 96.91 percent completion and is targeted to be ready for the Masa Pengenalan Lingkungan Sekolah (MPLS) student orientation period on 14 August 2026. Governor Helmi Hasan stated that education is a top priority for the nation and that this programme was initiated under the era of President Prabowo. He noted that the central government has allocated approximately Rp500 billion for the construction of two such schools to broaden access to education for children who have faced difficulties attending school. The governor emphasised that the Sekolah Rakyat represents the government’s response to public complaints about difficult access to education and the issue of children dropping out of school. He has instructed the Social Service, Education and Culture Service, and related regional agencies to conduct data collection and outreach to out-of-school children, including using population data from the Civil Registration Service. Hari Setiadi, Head of the Dharma Guna Centre in Bengkulu, explained that each Sekolah Rakyat will admit 270 new students annually, covering primary, junior high, and senior high school levels, in accordance with Ministry of Social Affairs regulations. For the 2026/2027 academic year, the school will accommodate 46 primary students, 90 junior high students, and 226 senior high students, supported by 14 teachers and 41 educational staff. The complex is ultimately designed to have a capacity of 1,080 students across 36 study groups.