In Front of the Cabinet Secretary, SR Student's Tears Burst as He Shares Story of Never Having Attended School

An emotional moment marked Cabinet Secretary (Seskab) Teddy Indra Wijaya’s visit to the People’s School in the Pejompongan area, Central Jakarta. A prospective student could not hold back his tears as he recounted never having experienced sitting in a classroom.

The touching moment occurred as Teddy inspected the People’s School at the Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Administrasi Lembaga Administrasi Negara (STIA LAN) Pejompongan, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday (22/4/2026). The child, named Aljabar Nur, fell silent and cried when asked to share his educational background. The atmosphere immediately became quiet before Teddy hugged and comforted him.

“Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Aljabar, called Al. I am originally from East Jakarta. I..,” said Aljabar while crying in front of Teddy.

“It’s okay, don’t cry. Here, you must not be sad anymore,” said Teddy while hugging Aljabar.

Teddy ensured that the People’s School is present to provide new hope for children who have lost access to education. He emphasised that the students will receive adequate facilities while pursuing their education.

“Here, all the younger siblings will study well, be provided with good accommodation, and given good nutrition. Insyaallah, they can make their families proud,” he stated.

After being calmed, Aljabar continued his story, albeit with a stuttering voice. He admitted to aspiring to become a police officer.

The moment drew sympathy from those present, who gave applause as a form of support.

This prospective People’s School student is the fifth of six siblings and an orphan. Aljabar has never attended school at all due to economic factors.

His mother is only a daily labourer. Aljabar himself claimed to already be able to read because he learned independently.

At the end of the opportunity, Teddy appreciated the courage of the prospective students who were willing to come forward and speak in public, despite their difficult backgrounds.

“I see that everyone here is brave. Brave to step forward, brave to speak, not ashamed. This is an important asset for the future,” he said.

The People’s School programme, initiated by the government through the Ministry of Social Affairs, targets children who have dropped out of school, those who have never attended school, or those at risk of dropping out. In addition to education, the students will also receive dormitories, nutritious food, and health services.