Indonesia targets 500 People's School by 2029

Sekolah Rakyat is a free boarding school program initiated by the Indonesian government for children from underprivileged families. The program has been implemented since mid-2025.

Deputy III for Partnerships and Media Relations of the Government Communications Agency (Bakom) Kurnia Ramadhana said during a press conference here on Wednesday that the program has expanded from 166 to 182 schools for the 2026-2027 academic year.

“For the 2027-2028 academic year, the government targets the addition of 100 to 200 Sekolah Rakyat per year. By 2029, the government aims to have built 500 Sekolah Rakyat across 38 provinces and 416 districts and cities,” Ramadhana said.

As of July 21, the government had built 93 permanent Sekolah Rakyat, 81 permanent pilot schools, and eight new pilot schools.

The expansion is intended to gradually transform the schools from a pilot model into more sustainable and permanent educational units, ensuring that children from low-income families have access to quality education.

“With the growing number of Sekolah Rakyat, the targeted number of students for the 2026-2027 academic year has also increased,” Ramadhana said.

Citing data from the Social Affairs Ministry as of July 8, 2026, he stated that the target for new student enrollment comprises 6,305 elementary school students, 11,186 junior high school students, and 11,077 senior high school students, bringing the total to 28,568 new students.

“Consequently, the overall total of Sekolah Rakyat students across the elementary, junior high, and senior high school levels – combining the number of active students and new enrollments with the interim targets – (is projected to) reach 43,344 students this year,” he remarked.

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Translator: Prisca V/Cahya S, Uyu L