East Java Governor Prepares 18 Permanent Integrated 'Sekolah Rakyat'

East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa is preparing 18 permanent Integrated Sekolah Rakyat (SRT) in the region to expand access to free education for underprivileged families. “Initially, the pilot programme only covered junior and senior high schools. The pilot SRTs are currently only in Ponorogo and Banyuwangi. But the plan is for 18 permanent SRTs, and hopefully this can contribute to strengthening the quality of human resources in Indonesia, particularly for the Desil 1 and Desil 2 categories,” Khofifah said in a statement received in Surabaya on Wednesday. “SRT provides education for underprivileged communities in the first and second deciles. This is a powerful and effective solution to break the chain of poverty through education. Hopefully, it will become a source of happiness for families, communities, the nation, and the state, so that all the aspirations they have set can be achieved,” she stated. According to her, one of the permanent SRTs is being built in Sampang Regency with an integrated education concept that combines primary school (SD), junior high school (SMP), and senior high school (SMA) levels within a single area. “The SRT category covering SD, SMP, and SMA turns out to be the largest area in Indonesia, totalling 12 hectares. So, Sampang Regency is extraordinary, able to prepare the largest area in Indonesia for an Integrated Sekolah Rakyat,” she said. The Sampang SRT is equipped with dormitories, classrooms, laboratories, a mosque, a multipurpose hall, and sports facilities. Its construction is targeted for completion before the school environment orientation period (MPLS) on 31 July 2026. For the 2026/2027 academic year, the Sampang SRT will accommodate 224 students. Recruitment is conducted jointly with Family Hope Programme (PKH) facilitators, Sub-district Social Welfare Workers (TKSK), and social volunteers to ensure it reaches families in the first and second deciles.