Government to Establish 182 'People's Schools' This Year

The government is continuing to expand the establishment of Sekolah Rakyat (People’s Schools). The administration of President Prabowo Subianto plans to have 182 new school sites established by the end of this year. Deputy for Partnership and Media Relations at the Government Communication Agency (Bakom), Kurnia Ramadhana, stated that there were already 166 Sekolah Rakyat by mid-year. “In the 2026/2027 Academic Year, the implementation of Sekolah Rakyat will be expanded from 166 to 182 schools,” Kurnia said in a statement on Friday, 24 July 2026. Kurnia explained that the 182 schools consist of 93 permanent Sekolah Rakyat ready for operation, 81 established pilot Sekolah Rakyat, and 85 new pilot Sekolah Rakyat. He expressed hope that the increase in the number of Sekolah Rakyat would accommodate students from poor and extremely poor families. He stated that based on Ministry of Social Affairs data as of 17 July 2026, 166 pilot Sekolah Rakyat had already accommodated 14,776 students in the 2025/2026 academic year. These schools are spread across 141 regencies/cities in 34 provinces. The government is targeting an increase in student numbers to 28,568 in the 2026/2027 academic year, in line with the addition of Sekolah Rakyat units. This figure comprises 6,305 primary school students, 11,186 junior high school students, and 11,077 senior high school students. “Thus, the total number of Sekolah Rakyat students at the primary, junior high, and senior high school levels, from existing numbers and interim targets, reaches 43,344 people this year,” he said. Kurnia added that this boarding school programme, which targets children from poor and extremely poor families, will continue to be expanded every year. He stated that for the 2027–2028 period, the government is targeting the addition of 100 to 200 Sekolah Rakyat sites per year. Furthermore, by 2029, the government is targeting the construction of Sekolah Rakyat to reach 500 sites across 38 provinces and 416 regencies/cities. “The government continues to measure the medium and long-term impacts of this programme,” Kurnia said.