Deputy Social Affairs Minister Agus Jabo to Oversee Permanent People's Schools in Mukomuko

INFO NASIONAL - Deputy Minister of Social Affairs Agus Jabo Priyono is pursuing the construction of permanent People’s Schools in Mukomuko Regency, Bengkulu, so that they can enter phase III this year and begin operating in 2027.

Agus Jabo made the commitment when he met with the Regent of Mukomuko Choirul Huda and the Vice Regent Rahmadi at the Ministry of Social Affairs, on Tuesday, 3 March 2026. He said he would ensure Mukomuko could join the next stage of the People’s School development.

In the initial phase, he said, the programme is prioritised for areas that already have a pilot. However, in line with President Prabowo Subianto’s directive, every regency and city is targeted to have at least one People’s School, including areas that previously did not have a similar programme.

Agus Jabo said the policy is based on a single data source regarding the number of out-of-school children and structural factors that cause poverty to be transmitted across generations. He said the development of the People’s School is one of the instruments to break the cycle of poverty through education.

He added that the President targets two main outcomes, namely poverty alleviation and the elimination of extreme poverty, whose benefits are expected to be felt by the public soon.

The Regent Choirul Huda said the regional government is serious about supporting the programme and has prepared land for the construction of the People’s School. He hoped the programme’s presence would demonstrate central government’s attention to the region.

In the same meeting, the Mukomuko Regency government also discussed disaster preparedness. The district in Bengkulu Province’s northern region is considered vulnerable to tsunamis, floods, landslides, and droughts. In response, Agus Jabo asked the local government to promptly propose the establishment of a Disaster Preparedness Village (Kampung Siaga Bencana) to the Ministry of Social Affairs.