Once a School Leaver, Garut Student Now Learns Programming

Garut (ANTARA) — A number of pupils at Integrated Sekolah Rakyat 39 in Garut Regency, West Java, are using laptops to learn programming—an experience they previously found difficult to imagine.

Coming from disadvantaged families, some of the pupils had even dropped out of school before getting the chance to continue their education at Sekolah Rakyat, a free government education programme. They are now beginning to learn about computers, use the internet for study and write simple code to create games.

Laptops provided by the government are helping to open up access to digital learning, giving the pupils an opportunity to develop skills and plan for the future.

Raihan, 16, a junior secondary pupil at Integrated Sekolah Rakyat 39 Garut, is among those who have experienced this change. A member of the school’s first intake in 2025, he said he can now use a laptop and browse the internet to find information.

Previously, he had not imagined that he would be able to learn computing, understand how to use the internet or write simple code to make a game. The teenager, from Limbangan district in Garut Regency, is pleased to be able to continue his junior secondary education while learning about technology through information and communication technology (ICT) lessons.

“Studying here feels like having new hope for the future, because everything is digital now. I’ve become interested in becoming a programmer,” Raihan said during a study session at his school on 12 October 2026.

A chance to return to education

For M. Fathir, 17, Sekolah Rakyat is not only a place to learn about technology but also an opportunity to return to education after leaving school.

The pupil from Banyuresmi district in Garut dropped out while in junior secondary school because of financial difficulties and bullying by his classmates. After three years away from school, he has resumed his education at Sekolah Rakyat.