Kediri Regent Motivates Students at Sekolah Rakyat Open House
The Open House of Sekolah Rakyat Menengah Atas (SRMA) 24 Kediri not only gave the public a chance to see daily life at the school firsthand but also served as a stage for students to showcase their work and achievements.
On stage, in front of hundreds of invited guests, students demonstrated their skills in four-language speeches, hadrah, choir, the traditional Yakswa dance, drama, jaranan, and pencak silat attractions. Off stage, rows of trophies from student accomplishments were on display, including championships in marching, hadrah, pencak silat, and a host of other achievements. Students also presented live batik making, a collection of batik works, barbershop skills, and the operation of a digital reading booth.
Kediri Regent Hanindhito Himawan Pramana, through a speech read by Regional Secretary Mohamad Solikin, expressed appreciation for the development and achievements of the Sekolah Rakyat students. “In just one year, just two semesters, we have already been able to prove the results of the hard work of the Ministry of Social Affairs and all ranks, which can be shown today,” he said at the Open House and Student Work and Achievement Exhibition for the 2025/2026 Academic Year at SRMA 24 Kediri, East Java, on Saturday (20/6/2026).
Besides the Regional Secretary, the event was also attended by the Special Staff to the Minister of Social Affairs, Ishaq Zubaedi Raqib; Expert Staff to the Minister of Social Affairs, Fajar WH; parents of students, members of the Regional Leadership Coordination Forum, representatives from the social services and education departments, and the community around the school.
The Regent, familiarly called Mas Dhito, added that the Sekolah Rakyat programme initiated by President Prabowo Subianto is a tangible form of the state’s presence, especially for children from underprivileged families, so they can become agents of change to break the chain of poverty. “Today we all bear witness that economic limitations are not a barrier to the birth of achievement,” he said.
He therefore advised Sekolah Rakyat students and their parents to study earnestly and carry out the empowerment programme optimally, so that the main goal of alleviating poverty is achieved. “The Regent prays that you can all complete this education, achieve your dreams and aspirations. Everything is very possible with strong spirit and the prayers of your parents. The key is to keep learning, not give up easily, and dare to dream big,” he stated.
Similarly, Special Staff to the Minister of Social Affairs Ishaq Zubaedi Raqib, in his directives, also stressed that the main goal of the Sekolah Rakyat programme is to break the poverty chain through education and empowerment. For this reason, besides academic ability, students are also drilled in character education and equipped with life skills. “We look at the before and after; we want to break the chain of poverty. If their academics are good, that is a bonus,” he said.
Seeing the rapid development of the students and the achievements they have made, he invited parents and all ranks involved in Sekolah Rakyat to be grateful and give their best. This is because there is no similar educational programme and institution where children are schooled and their parents are empowered. “After graduating, Sekolah Rakyat students must also go to university; if they do not go to university, they must work,” he explained. To realise this, the government, through the Ministry of Social Affairs, has established cooperation with universities, the business world, and other stakeholders.