Minister: Sekolah Rakyat a Solution for Out-of-School Children

The Sekolah Rakyat (People’s School) 41 Integrated School in Tasikmalaya, West Java, is projected to be a solution for providing educational access to children who have never attended school. The programme is considered to require not only adequate buildings and facilities but also appropriate child-rearing patterns.

Minister of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA) Arifatul Choiri Fauzi, accompanied by Tasikmalaya Mayor Viman Alfarizi Ramadhan, toured the classrooms and dormitories that will house the students before engaging in dialogue with students and teachers. She stated that the presence of Sekolah Rakyat represents the state’s responsibility in fulfilling children’s rights to education.

“Alhamdulillah, one of the facilities provided for Indonesian children in fulfilling their rights is ready. Education is one of the rights of children that must be fulfilled by the government,” Minister Arifatul said on Thursday (18/6).

According to the Minister, the facilities provided for children studying at Sekolah Rakyat are adequate, and the government provides these schools for children who have not had the opportunity to continue their education. She expressed hope that these children will become a generation of quality as Indonesia moves towards the Golden Indonesia 2045 vision.

“We hope that children from various social backgrounds at Sekolah Rakyat will be managed with extra care. Our ministry has collaborated with the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to ensure the provision of appropriate, correct, and good caregiving patterns for the children,” she said.

She added that caregivers, acting as substitute parents, have a responsibility to guide the children from afar, at the very least by praying for them. When parents visit the school, they should be strengthened and motivated so that the children have the potential to succeed in the future.

“The Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection has been collaborating with the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to provide appropriate, correct, and good caregiving patterns, so that Sekolah Rakyat can produce a quality generation for Golden Indonesia 2045,” she concluded.