Gus Ipul Reveals 15-Year-Olds Still Without Formal Schooling

The Minister of Social Affairs, Saifullah Yusuf, alias Gus Ipul, has revealed that the government is still finding 15-year-olds who have never received formal education during outreach efforts for prospective students of the ‘Sekolah Rakyat’ (People’s School) programme. This finding, according to Gus Ipul, illustrates that certain segments of society remain untouched by educational services, falling into the category described by President Prabowo Subianto as ‘the invisible people’.

‘This is one example; Al Jabbar is extraordinary, Mr President. When the Cabinet Secretary, Teddy, was present, he suddenly raised his hand and said, “My name is Al Jabbar, I am 15 years old, living in Duren Sawit, but I have never been to school quite yet,’’ said Gus Ipul before President Prabowo Subianto at the Sekolah Rakyat Menengah 17 in Tabanan, Bali, on Sunday.

According to Gus Ipul, such cases were discovered while the government was conducting direct outreach to prospective students for the Sekolah Rakyat programme. He stated that the government is not opening general registrations but is instead actively searching for children who meet the criteria to participate in the programme.

‘They are being reached as per the President’s instructions. Therefore, we are not opening general registration for Sekolah Rakyat, but rather reaching out to those who meet the criteria to attend,’ he said.

He explained that participants of Sekolah Rakyat are drawn from families recorded in the National Socio-Economic Single Data (DTSEN). If data is not yet listed, the government will first conduct updates and verification. Gus Ipul also emphasised that the selection process is conducted without any fees or influence from any parties.

‘Bribery is prohibited here according to the President’s instructions; there must be no payments and no influence from anyone,’ he stated.

In addition to finding children who have never attended school, the Ministry of Social Affairs also found many children who have dropped out or are at risk of dropping out. ‘This is the result of outreach following the President’s instructions, and we have found those who are part of what the President calls the invisible people. There are many like this who have never attended school,’ he said.

He added that the presence of Sekolah Rakyat is expected to provide a pathway for children from underprivileged families to regain access to education. ‘There are also parents here whose children have dropped out, and through Sekolah Rakyat, it is hoped they can return to school,’ said Gus Ipul.

On that occasion, Gus Ipul also reported the progress of the Sekolah Rakyat programme to the President. For the 2025-2026 academic year, the number of Sekolah Rakyat students is recorded at over 15,000. Meanwhile, for the 2026-2027 academic year, the government is preparing an additional quota of more than 32,000 students.

‘For 2025-2026, there are over 15,000 existing Sekolah Rakyat students, and for 2026-2027, there is an allocation for an additional more than 32,000 students. This means that overall, there will be more than 45,000 this year,’ he said.

He added that this number is targeted to continue increasing alongside the construction of permanent Sekolah Rakyat buildings in various regions. ‘Next year, 2027-2028, there will be more than 100,000,’ concluded Gus Ipul.