Gus Ipul Attends Open House for Surabaya's Sekolah Rakyat

Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf, known as Gus Ipul, attended an Open House for Sekolah Rakyat aimed at parents and prospective students at Sekolah Rakyat Menengah Atas (SRMA) 21 Surabaya, East Java, on Friday, 26 June 2026. The open house was held to provide an opportunity for prospective students, their parents, community leaders, and the local government to see first-hand the learning development of Sekolah Rakyat students. “Alhamdulillah, after more than 10 months, the learning process is improving, the children are becoming more disciplined and confident, their enthusiasm for learning has increased, their physical growth is good, and their health is also improving,” said Gus Ipul after the event. Despite various challenges and dynamics, he noted that the students have shown quite significant development. During the activity, Gus Ipul arrived at the location around 14.30 WIB and was welcomed by performances from SRMA 21 Surabaya students, including a marching display, hadrah, traditional dance, pencak silat, English and Arabic speeches, a choir, and poetry. The students competed to present their best performances with confidence and deep appreciation. In addition to watching the student performances, Gus Ipul also had the opportunity to engage in dialogue with parents, students, and prospective students. One of them was Ita Fitriani, the mother of SRMA 21 Surabaya student Marsya Dwi Cahyani. Ita could not hide her pride in her child when speaking with Gus Ipul. “Now she is brave enough to perform, she is good in every way. She used to be very shy and withdrawn,” said Ita. Marsya was one of the students who participated in the marching display. She comes from a humble family living in Semampir District, Surabaya. Her father, Siswandi, works as a construction labourer with an uncertain and meagre income, and Marsya had even been forced to drop out of school. However, she can now continue her education and pursue her dreams through Sekolah Rakyat. “I am very grateful that my child can attend Sekolah Rakyat. She had dropped out for more than a year. She wants to become a doctor too,” said Ita. Marsya also shared that after nearly two semesters of education at Sekolah Rakyat, she has experienced a change into a better, more independent, and more disciplined person. “I am more disciplined, disciplined in prayer, and I can manage my time as well,” she said. The changes achieved by Marsya and other students are undoubtedly the fruit of the patience and commitment of the headmaster, teachers, and educational staff in educating Sekolah Rakyat students. The event was also attended by the Governor of East Java, represented by East Java Regional Secretary Adi Karyono, Surabaya Mayor Eri Cahyadi, the Rector of Surabaya University represented by Vice Rector II Prof. Bachtiar S Bachri, Head of the East Java Social Service Restu Novi Widiani, Head of BPS East Java Herum Fajarwati, members of the Minister’s Special Staff and Expert Staff, and other relevant officials.