DPR: School rehabilitation must be inclusive to support child development

House of Representatives Commission X Chair Hetifah Sjaifudian stated that the renovation of hundreds of thousands of schools targeted by President Prabowo Subianto is a strategic step towards educational equity, and its implementation must ensure the creation of an inclusive learning environment. “School rehabilitation should not merely be about repairing damaged buildings. We must ensure that schools truly become learning spaces that are proper, safe, healthy, inclusive, and supportive of children’s growth and development,” she said in Jakarta on Friday. Hetifah explained that several aspects need attention, such as ensuring compliance with standards for classroom suitability, sanitation, clean water, safety, accessibility for persons with disabilities, and the availability of learning support facilities. “The government is also targeting the repair of 100,000 schools by 2027 and another 100,000 schools by 2028, with the goal that all schools and Islamic boarding schools in Indonesia will be completely renovated by 2029,” she said. According to Hetifah, this measure is a tangible manifestation of the government’s commitment to educational equity. Children living in remote and outermost regions have the same right to study in safe and proper schools as children in urban areas. Therefore, she reminded that school rehabilitation needs to be understood as more than just physical building repairs. President Prabowo Subianto stated that the school improvement programme will continue to be expanded to cover all schools in Indonesia, including those in Islamic boarding schools, with the renovation process targeted for completion by 2029. He made the remarks during his state address at the 2026 Annual Session of the People’s Consultative Assembly and the Joint Session of the Regional Representative Council and the House of Representatives at the Parliamentary Complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Friday. Prabowo said that providing nutritious meals alone is insufficient to build the quality of human resources. According to Prabowo, Indonesian children must also receive a good education supported by adequate school facilities. Therefore, the government is running a large-scale school improvement programme. Prabowo noted that by 2026, a total of 71,744 schools had been repaired, an increase compared to the previous year’s figure of approximately 17,000 schools.