Land Secured, Construction Begins on Eight Permanent 'Sekolah Rakyat' Sites

Eight new Sekolah Rakyat sites are ready to enter the physical construction phase after the respective local governments completed the land provision process. Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf, known as Gus Ipul, confirmed this during an audience with representatives from the eight regencies at the Ministry of Social Affairs office on Thursday (18/6).

The eight regions are Tanggamus Regency, Tangerang Regency, Toba Regency, Kudus Regency, Malaka Regency, South Nias Regency, North Kolaka Regency, and Mimika Regency. The regents and deputy regents attended in person to report on land readiness, with some sites having already undergone technical measurement and verification.

During the meeting, Gus Ipul stressed that the programme is built on a collaborative scheme between the central and regional governments. “The land is provided by the regency/city or province. Construction is funded by the state budget. The headmaster is proposed by the regional head. This is joint work, from the start to supervision,” he stated in a written release on Thursday.

Tanggamus Regent Saleh Asnawi confirmed his region’s land is ready in principle and meets the requirements to proceed to the next stage. “We have prepared permanent land for Sekolah Rakyat, and even for Sekolah Garuda. In principle, the land for Sekolah Rakyat is ready,” he said.

Mimika Regent Johannes Rettob stated the prepared land meets the technical criteria and is awaiting a review from the Ministry of Public Works. “We have prepared approximately 8 hectares of flat land with no issues. We are currently waiting for the Public Works Ministry to conduct a review,” he said.

Meanwhile, Toba Regency faced a minor obstacle. Regent Effendi S. P. Napitupulu explained that the follow-up process was temporarily delayed due to a natural disaster in his area. “We have prepared land for the permanent Sekolah Rakyat and have measured its readiness. However, due to a natural disaster in our region, the Ministry of Public Works is still postponing the next process,” he mentioned.

Kudus Deputy Regent Bellinda Putri Sabrina Birton explained that land provision was carried out through cross-sector cooperation. “For the permanent Sekolah Rakyat construction land, we have collaborated with Perhutani and the Infantry Brigade, covering an area of approximately 10 hectares,” she said.

Gus Ipul added that physical construction is nearly complete at 93 permanent Sekolah Rakyat sites. The addition of these 8 new sites will expand capacity to accommodate more students from underprivileged families.

The programme is specifically designed to reach people in extreme poverty, not through open registration, but through active outreach by local governments. Gus Ipul stressed that the programme must run cleanly, without collusion or nepotism. “This programme is truly for the poorest. The President has entrusted us to ensure there is no corruption, bribery, or favouritism. This must genuinely be for them,” he added.

The student admission mechanism also differs from regular schools. Prospective students do not register themselves; instead, they are identified and designated directly by the regional head. “At Sekolah Rakyat, there is no registration, only outreach. They are reached and designated by the regent or mayor, then we accept them. So from the start, this programme is collaborative in nature,” he concluded.