Physical Construction of Permanent 'Sekolah Rakyat' in Jambi Reaches 70 Percent
The progress was revealed during an inspection of the permanent People’s School construction site in Jambi. Also present during the visit were the Mayor of Jambi, Maulana, and the Governor of Jamin, Al Haris.
“With the support of the Governor, the Mayor, the Ministry of Public Works, and other agencies, the construction of the People’s School in Jambi City is proceeding according to plan. We are optimistic that the end-of-June target can be achieved,” said Gus Ipul in a written statement on Friday (5/6/2026).
He stated that the permanent People’s School in Jambi is being built on 5.56 hectares of land and is designed as an integrated education area based on a boarding school model. Construction began on 4 December 2025 and is targeted for completion by 20 June 2026, with current progress having reached 70.33 per cent.
The complex includes the construction of educational buildings for primary (SD), junior high (SMP), and senior high (SMA) levels, equipped with facilities to support learning and student character development.
Construction components include classrooms, laboratories, libraries, student and teacher dormitories, staff rooms, sports facilities, and extracurricular activity areas. All these facilities are designed to create an integrated, safe, and high-quality learning environment for students.
Gus Ipul emphasised that the acceleration of construction is being carried out through cross-sector coordination, with strict supervision from the Ministry of Public Works to ensure construction quality is maintained without compromising the timeline.
“All stages of work are being closely monitored to ensure timely completion, as this directly relates to student admission readiness and the commencement of the learning process,” he said.
In line with physical progress, the new student admission process is also underway. In the initial operational phase this year, the People’s School in Jambi City will admit approximately 300 students, with 100 students each for the primary, junior high, and senior high levels. Within the next three years, school capacity is targeted to increase to approximately 1,000 students.
“The admission process is ongoing. God willing, learning will begin in this building once construction is complete,” said Gus Ipul.
Meanwhile, the government is also accelerating the recruitment of teaching and support staff. Nationally, thousands of teachers and other personnel, such as foster parents and dormitory wardens, are being recruited this year to ensure the full operational readiness of the People’s School.
Regarding target identification, the government is implementing an integrated data-based approach. Data collection is conducted hierarchically, starting from the neighbourhood (RT/RW) and village levels up to local governments, then verified and validated by the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS).
“The data we use must be truly accurate, so that this programme is precisely targeted and reaches children from the families in greatest need,” he explained.
Gus Ipul revealed that for the junior and senior high school levels nationally, the number of applicants has exceeded the target. However, for the primary school level, further outreach efforts are required to ensure all quotas are optimally filled.
For information, the location of the permanent People’s School in the Bagan Pete sub-district is relatively easy to access. From Sultan Thaha Jambi Airport, the location can be reached in approximately 40 minutes by car within the Jambi City area.
“The construction of this People’s School is part of a national strategic programme initiated by President Prabowo Subianto to expand educational access for vulnerable groups while promoting the equitable development of human resources,” he concluded.