Gus Ipul Applauds East Java as Province with the Most 'Sekolah Rakyat'

Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf, known as Gus Ipul, has expressed his appreciation to the regents, mayors, and the Governor of East Java for their commitment to supporting the Sekolah Rakyat programme. “We thank all the regents and mayors, especially the Governor of East Java, who from the very beginning provided extraordinary support for the implementation of the pilot Sekolah Rakyat. East Java is the province with the most locations for implementing these people’s schools,” Gus Ipul said in a statement on Saturday (27/6/2026). The statement was made after attending a Sekolah Rakyat Open House for parents and prospective students at Sekolah Rakyat Menengah Atas (SRMA) 21 Surabaya, East Java, on Friday (26/6). Gus Ipul further explained that 26 pilot Sekolah Rakyat are currently operating across various regencies and cities in East Java. Simultaneously, 16 permanent Sekolah Rakyat buildings are under construction and are expected to be completed this July, ready for use in the 2026/2027 academic year. The target is for each permanent building to accommodate approximately one thousand students from elementary, junior high, and senior high school levels. “Across Indonesia, permanent buildings will be constructed at 104 locations, and 16 of them are in East Java,” he stated. The open house event was held to provide an opportunity for prospective students and their parents, as well as community leaders and local government officials, to see firsthand the learning progress of Sekolah Rakyat students. During the occasion, students performed a variety of displays, including marching variations, hadrah, traditional dance, pencak silat, English and Arabic speeches, a choir, and poetry. The students performed confidently and cohesively, demonstrating their development since joining Sekolah Rakyat. In addition to watching the performances, Gus Ipul also engaged in dialogue with parents, students, and prospective students. “We saw earlier, the children’s performance on stage, they are now more confident, brave enough to appear on stage, answering every question firmly and clearly, and importantly, they are optimistic about facing the future,” he remarked. Echoing Gus Ipul, East Java Provincial Secretary Adhy Karyono conveyed that the province strongly supports the implementation of the Sekolah Rakyat programme. “East Java is very supportive, where now the most SR locations are in East Java, totalling 26, with other provinces still below that. Furthermore, 16 SR permanent campuses are currently being built to modern standards,” Adhy said.