Minister: Headmaster Capacity Determines Quality of 'Sekolah Rakyat'

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf has stated that the capacity of Sekolah Rakyat headmasters determines the quality of the education system, necessitating enhanced leadership skills as their responsibilities grow. He noted that the success of Sekolah Rakyat is not measured by the emergence of a few high-achieving students, but by the school’s ability to build a system that develops all learners. The headmaster is not merely an administrator, but a leader who takes ownership of the students’ future. ‘Struggling means being oriented towards real change for students, proactively reading needs, taking the initiative to solve problems, and measuring success by the development of the children served,’ the minister, familiarly known as Gus Ipul, said in Jakarta on Wednesday. He presented a survey involving 174 Sekolah Rakyat headmasters, which depicted both optimism and challenges ahead of the start of the School Environment Introduction Period (MPLS). The survey showed the headmasters’ mental readiness level at 8.95 out of 10, while confidence in decision-making stood at 8.74 out of 10. Despite this, the survey also revealed several issues requiring immediate resolution. Only 18 per cent of headmasters stated they were fully prepared to face the MPLS, 26 per cent were partially ready, 38 per cent were still facing significant obstacles, and 17 per cent admitted they were not ready. Furthermore, the headmasters conveyed various needs, including additional teachers and education personnel, direct assistance from the Training Centre, budget clarity, and further training and provision. In the field, other problems were also found, such as the availability of a water source at one permanent Sekolah Rakyat, the settlement of employment status and headmaster decrees in several locations, and the completion of several permanent buildings. He said that all current headmasters are not just carrying out routine duties, but are becoming part of the history of educational development for children from poor and extremely poor families. ‘If 28 children are developing, while two are left behind, that is not just a problem for those two children. It is a systemic problem. Let us build a system so that all students can be served. No student should be left behind,’ he said. Gus Ipul reminded that improving the quality of Sekolah Rakyat must begin with improving the quality of the headmasters themselves. Therefore, he asked all headmasters to change their perspective from merely working to truly struggling. He asked the headmasters to start building personal discipline before demanding discipline from students, to honestly convey any problems without covering them up, to remain calm under pressure because a leader’s attitude will be emulated by the learners, and to be brave enough to evaluate themselves before evaluating their subordinates.