Ministry of Social Affairs Establishes LENSA SR to Ensure Valid Information for 'Sekolah Rakyat'
The high demand for public information regarding ‘Sekolah Rakyat’ (People’s School) has prompted the Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos) to strengthen its communication governance. As of May 2026, a total of 5,299 questions and complaints were recorded via the Ministry’s social media, with the most frequent enquiries relating to locations, schedules, and the availability of the programme.
This data served as the foundation for the development of LENSA SR (Adaptive Narrative Ecosystem Service for Sekolah Rakyat). LENSA SR is a public communication management mechanism designed to ensure that all information regarding Sekolah Rakyat is sourced from valid data, used consistently across all units, and remains responsive to emerging issues.
The need for this system arose because information regarding Sekolah Rakyat was previously dispersed across various channels. Data from programmes, public complaints, news reports, social media, and field reports had not been fully integrated into a single communication management cycle.
Furthermore, responses to issues tended to be handled on a case-by-case basis and relied on informal coordination. This situation posed risks such as slow response times, inconsistent narratives across different channels, repetitive clarifications, the spread of hoaxes, misinterpretations, and publications that were not fully ‘data-safe’ or ‘child-safe’.
“With the implementation of LENSA SR, all information related to Sekolah Rakyat can be well-integrated from the central level to the regions. This will allow the public to easily access valid, rapid information and avoid hoax narratives on social media,” stated Fatkhurolarhman Taufik, Special Staff to the Minister of Social Affairs for Communication and Mass Media, in a written statement on Sunday (30/8/2026).
Through LENSA SR, information is not immediately processed into publication materials. Instead, information is first gathered from various sources, including mass media, social media, the Information and Documentation Management Officer (PPID), SP4N-LAPOR!, Command Center 171, reports from Sentra/Balai, Sekolah Rakyat managers, local governments, and field reports.
Subsequently, the information is confirmed with the relevant Person in Charge (PIC) or the substantive unit to ensure that the data used is accurate, up-to-date, confirmed, and accountable. Following this, the information is processed into narratives and recommended responses as required.
The mechanism consists of six stages: capturing and classifying issues and narratives, substantive validation, processing issues and narratives, recommending responses and follow-ups, disseminating responses and narratives, and monitoring and organisational learning.
This governance strengthening has entered the implementation phase via the Secretary General’s Official Note Number 3240/1/HM.01.03/8/2026 regarding Issue Recommendations and Communication Responses for Sekolah Rakyat, issued on 27 August 2026.
The note contains priority issues, confirmed information references, issue risk levels, and directives for the use of FAQs and standardised narrative references. This official document has been distributed to central units, Balai Besar, Integrated Sentra/Sentra, and the heads of Sekolah Rakyat as a shared reference.
Within these recommendations, five key needs are addressed: data accuracy and timeliness, speed of substantive confirmation, consistency of information across units and channels, the safety of publications involving children and vulnerable families, and the recording of issue follow-ups.
Child protection is a vital aspect, as communications regarding Sekolah Rakyat directly involve children and vulnerable families. Consequently, publication materials are directed to meet ‘data-safe’ and ‘child-safe’ principles, ensuring that vulnerabilities are not exposed and sensitive identities of children are not disclosed.
Responses to issues are not uniform. Minor issues may be handled through service responses, FAQs, or information corrections. Meanwhile, medium-risk issues require official clarification or explanatory content coordinated with the Public Relations Bureau. High-risk issues—pertaining to child safety, violence, data breaches, budget integrity, or alleged legal violations—are immediately escalated according to authority.
To maintain information consistency, LENSA SR is equipped with a ‘Living FAQ’, a narrative bank, key narratives, talking points, clarification templates, hoax rebuttal templates, briefing materials for leadership, and ‘data-safe’ and ‘child-safe’ checklists. These instruments are designed as living documents that can be updated following developments in issues, public complaints, news, social media conversations, and field information.
The Secretary General of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Robben Rico, expressed hope that LENSA SR will eventually become a sustainable part of the public communication governance for Sekolah Rakyat. Future developments include institutionalising a Weekly Issue Forum and consolidating issues, complaints, news, social media, and field information into a matrix or dashboard, alongside updating FAQs and the narrative bank based on processed issues.
“In the future, I hope LENSA SR becomes a reference for integrated information services, not only for the scope of Sekolah Rakyat but also for other programmes such as PKH, Sembako, or other services within the Ministry of Social Affairs. This will ensure more members of the public can easily access information and avoid hoaxes,” concluded Robben.
Through this approach, the public’s need for information regarding Sekolah Rakyat is met not only with speed but also through information that is confirmed, consistent, traceable, and respectful of the safety and dignity of children and vulnerable families.