Dudung: People's School Locations Determined by Poverty Levels

The Presidential Chief of Staff, Dudung Abdurachman, has stated that the determination of locations for Sekolah Rakyat (People’s Schools) is based on poverty levels to ensure the programme is precisely targeted at children who need access to education. During a visit in Bandung on Wednesday, Dudung explained that location determination is carried out through tiered data collection, considering areas with high poverty rates and children at risk of dropping out of school. “Yes, because the location considerations are based on that, decile 1 and 2, or the observed poverty level. So these points are the result of reports from village heads, from sub-districts, from districts,” he said. According to Dudung, this poverty data-based approach ensures that the construction of Sekolah Rakyat is not only located in urban areas but also reaches regions that require educational services. He stated that Sekolah Rakyat represents the state’s presence in ensuring that poverty does not become a barrier for children to obtain an education. He mentioned that the programme is a directive from President Prabowo Subianto to expand access to quality and equitable education. “Today we are together observing an Integrated Sekolah Rakyat that has been completed and is ready for use by students from primary, junior secondary, and senior secondary school levels,” he said. “Because this has become the government’s resolve, the President has made Sekolah Rakyat a priority. Collaboration between ministries can then be implemented so that this construction is completed according to the required timeline,” he added. On that occasion, he mentioned that Sekolah Rakyat not only provides access to education but also shapes character, independence, and meets students’ basic needs, including nutritional fulfilment and mental guidance. “Now children are actually being guided at Sekolah Rakyat. Here, nutrition is fulfilled, their mentality, attitudes, and behaviour are also built. This is very good for parents; their children are nurtured here,” he said. Dudung expressed hope that the poverty-level-based location determination can ensure the benefits of Sekolah Rakyat are received by the community groups that need them most, while also becoming part of the government’s efforts to break the chain of poverty through improving the quality of human resources.