Ministry of Social Affairs: Facilities and Teachers for People's Schools Continue to Expand
Tangerang — The Ministry of Social Affairs is ensuring that school building facilities and qualified teaching staff for People’s Schools (Sekolah Rakyat) continue to increase in number.
Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf stated in Tangerang on Friday that currently there remain teacher shortages at several locations. The Government is discussing additional teacher requirements with the State Civil Service Agency (BKN) and relevant ministries.
“We are still discussing the requirements with our colleagues at BKN, because there are indeed teacher shortages at some locations,” said Minister Saifullah at an iftar event with teachers and students of People’s Schools held at ICE BSD Tangerang on Friday.
He also ensured that teachers currently delivering instruction have undergone rigorous selection processes. They are certified teachers who have completed Teacher Professional Education (PPG).
The selection process is conducted by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education together with the State Civil Service Agency (BKN) and accompanied by the Ministry of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform (PAN-RB).
“The teachers are on average still young, under 30 years old, and possess adequate teaching abilities. They have adapted over the past six months,” he said.
Regarding school building facilities, the Government is constructing permanent buildings at 104 locations. Each location will eventually be able to accommodate up to 1,000 students at primary, junior secondary, and senior secondary levels.
During the initial phase, teaching and learning activities still utilise buildings owned by the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Ministry of Manpower, training centres owned by the Directorate of Manpower, as well as local government facilities.
“Once the permanent buildings are completed, students will move to more comprehensive facilities, including student and teacher dormitories, classrooms, libraries, laboratories, halls, and extracurricular facilities,” he said.
The Minister explained that People’s School students come from disadvantaged families, namely the first and second income deciles, or categorised as poor and extremely poor.
This programme represents Government attention to families facing difficulty in sending their children to school.
“This is President Prabowo Subianto’s initiative to provide quality education opportunities for children from less privileged families,” he explained.
The People’s School concept is designed as a boarding school that provides not only academic instruction but also character education.
Moreover, the characteristics of People’s School students are distinctive. There is no academic test for student admission; rather, admission is based on meeting administrative requirements. Some students had previously dropped out of school.
“However, I must admit I am pleased to see the development of students who are assessed as increasingly confident and able to follow learning effectively,” he said.