Indonesia targets June completion for 88 Sekolah Rakyat sites
“God willing, construction will finish by the end of June. I believe about 88 of 93 targeted sites will complete development by then,” he remarked at a press conference in Jakarta on Friday.
As of Thursday (May 21), he said, Sekolah Rakyat construction had progressed to about 59 percent.
The ongoing work is part of phase II of the program, which mainly involves the construction of permanent buildings after the government launched Sekolah Rakyat in temporary facilities last year.
Hanggodo acknowledged that progress had been slower than initially expected, falling short of the target to open 93 Sekolah Rakyat sites by July 2026 to accommodate more than 30,000 new students.
He noted that some construction contracts have deadlines extending beyond the start of the upcoming academic year.
“Sekolah Rakyat students are expected to begin classes in the new academic year starting in July 2026. Ideally, construction should be completed by June 2026. However, some contracts are scheduled for completion in July or even October,” the minister explained.
According to him, the slowest-moving projects are located in Singkawang, Cilacap, Dharmasraya, North Lombok, and Brebes.
Meanwhile, construction progress has been more favorable in Sragen, Semarang, Bengkulu City, and Medan.
Despite the delays, Hanggodo assured the public that construction quality would not be compromised, expressing confidence that Sekolah Rakyat buildings could last for at least 20 years.
“We cannot afford to compromise on building quality. Sacrificing quality is never an option for me,” he affirmed.
The minister emphasized that Sekolah Rakyat is part of the government’s broader effort to reduce poverty through education and develop high-quality human resources to support the Golden Indonesia 2045 vision.
“There is no easier way than education to break the cycle of extreme poverty,” he remarked.
Related news: Indonesia targets out-of-school children with free schools
Related news: 600 street children recruited to join Sekolah Rakyat
Translator: Arnidhya Nur, Tegar Nurfitra