DPR: Sekolah Rakyat Must Open Future for Poor Students

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Member of Commission VIII of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) Dini Rahmania stated that one year of implementing the Sekolah Rakyat (People’s School) programme must be able to open the future for children from poor families through quality education with official recognition. Dini made the statement in Jakarta on Wednesday in response to the evaluation of the first year of the Sekolah Rakyat programme. “So that graduates of Sekolah Rakyat can continue their education to a higher level or enter the workforce without administrative obstacles,” she said. According to Dini, Commission VIII of the DPR RI will also ensure that diplomas issued by Sekolah Rakyat have legal standing recognised by the state so as not to hinder the continuation of education or access to employment. She said the DPR will oversee coordination between the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Religious Affairs, and local governments through working meetings, hearings, field visits, and periodic evaluations. Previously, Minister of Social Affairs Saifullah Yusuf stated that during one year of implementation, students of Sekolah Rakyat have achieved hundreds of accolades at the regional, national, and international levels. According to the Minister, throughout 2025, Sekolah Rakyat students won four international-level achievements, 674 national-level achievements, 71 regional-level, 513 provincial-level, 842 district/city-level, 89 sub-district-level, and 1,347 school-level achievements. These achievements, according to Saifullah Yusuf, show that children who previously had limited access to education are able to develop and compete when given adequate learning opportunities.