Over 32,000 Students to be Admitted to 'People's Schools' in 2026, Says Social Affairs Minister

More than 32,000 students will be accepted as part of the Sekolah Rakyat (People’s Schools) programme in 2026, Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf has said, marking a significant expansion of the initiative. The minister, familiarly known as Gus Ipul, reported the development during a meeting with Chief of the Presidential Staff Office (KSP), General (Ret.) TNI Dudung Abdurachman, in Jakarta on Wednesday. “Last year we allocated places for more than 15,000 Sekolah Rakyat students. This year, more than 32,000 will be accepted as part of the student body. This increase in allocation is in line with the number of permanent buildings being constructed by the government under the President’s direction. I think this is the key point we can report,” he said. The minister expressed his appreciation for the support of the entire KSP staff for the implementation of Sekolah Rakyat. By July 2026, this free school for underprivileged children will mark one year of operation. According to him, this moment presents an opportunity to conduct evaluations and design better measures concerning governance, human resource fulfilment, and addressing various challenges on the ground. “I continue to request support from Mr Dudung as the KSP Chief so that the implementation of Sekolah Rakyat becomes better, more perfect, and eventually produces a generation that is intelligent, virtuous, and skilled, as hoped for by the President,” Saifullah said. Meanwhile, KSP Chief General (Ret.) TNI Dudung Abdurachman affirmed his commitment to continue supporting and collaborating in the implementation of Sekolah Rakyat, including the construction of permanent buildings. According to him, this programme is one of the government’s efforts to improve the quality of human resources so that the vision of a Golden Indonesia by 2045 can be achieved. “Because it is there that children who have dropped out of school, children who do not attend school, will be accommodated and then educated in a boarding system at Sekolah Rakyat,” said Dudung. His office is committed to supporting the programme, including resolving obstacles that arise with various parties so that the construction process and sustainable learning process continue to be achieved successfully.