Prabowo: No Child Should Risk Their Life Going to School

President Prabowo Subianto has spoken about the importance of inter-village connectivity, stating that infrastructure such as bridges must be a priority for the government. Prabowo asserted that there must no longer be schoolchildren who go to and from school in wet conditions.

This was conveyed by Prabowo in his speech at the 2026 Annual Session of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) and the Joint Session of the House of Representatives (DPR) and the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) at the parliamentary complex in Senayan, Jakarta, on Friday (14/8/2026). Prabowo expressed his appreciation for the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI) and the Indonesian National Police (Polri), who have accelerated the construction of village bridges.

“Inter-village connectivity must be good. This year we have completed 2,500 village bridges built by the TNI and 874 village bridges by the Republic of Indonesia Police,” said Prabowo.

Prabowo is targeting a total of 5,000 bridges in villages to be built by the end of this year. The Gerindra Party chairman highlighted that there are still students who have to cross rivers to get to school due to the absence of a bridge.

“Our target is to complete more than 5,000 village bridges by the end of this year. We cannot allow our children to risk their lives just to cross a river to go to school because there is no bridge, to walk for hours to school, to arrive wet, sit in class wet, and go home wet. Ladies and gentlemen, this must not happen,” he said.

Prabowo instructed regional governments and local apparatus to meet the people’s needs by building bridges. He issued an ultimatum that the central government would directly step in if regional governments were unable to meet the people’s needs.

“We hope that governors, regents, sub-district heads, and village heads will all check their villages to see where else village bridges are needed, and report it,” he stated.

“If the governor, regent, or village head cannot resolve it, the central government will step in and handle it. We will not let our people be neglected,” he added.