Hundreds of Students Achieve Success in First Year of 'Sekolah Rakyat' Programme

Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf stated that in just one year of operation, Sekolah Rakyat (People’s Schools) students have achieved hundreds of accolades. “Alhamdulillah, during one year of operation, hundreds of achievements have been made by Sekolah Rakyat students. There are achievements at the district, provincial, national, and even international levels,” said Gus Ipul, as the minister is familiarly known, accompanied by Deputy Minister of Social Affairs Agus Jabo Priyono, during an Open House and School Orientation Period event at Sekolah Rakyat Sukoharjo, Central Java, on Saturday. Throughout 2025, students have recorded four international achievements, 674 national, 71 regional, 513 provincial, 842 district/city, 89 sub-district, and 1,347 school-level achievements. “Many of these children were previously without hope, and now they are achieving great things,” he remarked. This was evident during the orientation event, where first-year students welcomed newcomers with confident stage performances, including marching displays, martial arts, musical drama, choir, poetry, and speeches in English, Arabic, Mandarin, and Korean. During a poetry performance titled “From Jamu Nguter and Gamelan Wirun We Learn,” Gus Ipul and attendees were moved to tears. The impressive performances have strengthened parents’ and students’ belief that Sekolah Rakyat is the right path to achieving their dreams and breaking the poverty cycle. Mulyadi, who has worked as a graveyard caretaker since 2002 earning only Rp350,000 per month, sometimes supplemented by his child Khustimah helping to clean graves, represents the families the programme aims to reach. “I want my child to attend this school, to continue their education, so that later they can help their parents,” Mulyadi said. Such families are the ‘invisible people’ that President Prabowo Subianto’s administration seeks to support through Sekolah Rakyat. An official named Eko stated that this trust is a mandate to be upheld through collaboration between central and regional governments, educators, parents, and all stakeholders. He added that the programme is a manifestation of the state’s presence in providing quality education for all Indonesian children, asserting that the future is a right for every child regardless of social and economic background.