Physical Construction of Permanent 'Sekolah Rakyat' in Jambi Reaches 70 Percent

This was revealed during an inspection of the ‘Sekolah Rakyat’ construction site in Jambi. The visit was also attended by Jambi Mayor Maulana and Jambi Governor Al Haris. “With the support of the Governor, the Mayor, the Ministry of Public Works, and other ranks, the construction of the Sekolah Rakyat in Jambi City is proceeding according to plan. We are optimistic 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 Jambi Sekolah Rakyat is being built on 5.56 hectares of land and is designed as an integrated, boarding-based educational area. Construction began on 4 December 2025 and is targeted for completion on 20 June 2026, with the current progress having reached 70.33 percent. The complex includes the construction of educational buildings for primary, junior high, and senior high school levels, equipped with supporting facilities for learning and student character development. The construction components comprise classrooms, laboratories, a library, student and teacher dormitories, a teachers’ room, sports facilities, and extracurricular activity amenities. 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 in a cross-sector coordinated manner, with strict oversight from the Ministry of Public Works to ensure construction quality is maintained without disregarding the time target. “All stages of work continue to be closely monitored so that completion is on time, because this is directly related to the readiness of student admissions and the commencement of the learning process,” he said. In line with the physical progress, the new student admissions process is also underway. In the initial operational stage this year, the Sekolah Rakyat in Jambi City will admit around 300 students, comprising 100 students each for the primary, junior high, and senior high levels. Within the next three years, the school’s capacity is targeted to increase to approximately 1,000 students. “The admissions process is already running. God willing, learning will begin in this building after construction is finished,” said Gus Ipul. On another note, the government is also accelerating the recruitment of teaching and support staff. Nationally, this year thousands of teachers and other personnel, such as foster guardians and dormitory supervisors, are being recruited to ensure the comprehensive operational readiness of Sekolah Rakyat. In determining targets, the government applies an integrated data-based approach. Data collection is carried out in stages, starting from the neighbourhood and community unit levels, to the urban village, and up to the local government, which is then verified and validated by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS). “The data we use must be truly accurate, so that this programme is on target and truly reaches children from the most needy families,” he explained. Gus Ipul revealed that for the junior and senior high school levels nationally, the number of applicants has exceeded the target. Meanwhile, for the primary school level, outreach still needs to be strengthened so that all quotas can be optimally met. For information, the location of the permanent Sekolah Rakyat in Bagan Pete Urban Village has relatively easy access. From Sultan Thaha Jambi Airport, the location can be reached in about 40 minutes using a four-wheeled vehicle to the Jambi City area. “The construction of this Sekolah Rakyat is part of a national strategic programme initiated by President Prabowo Subianto in order to expand access to education for vulnerable groups while encouraging equitable human resource development,” he concluded.