Prof Nuh: Head Teachers Are Key to the Success of Sekolah Rakyat

The Chairman of the Formateur Team for the Sekolah Rakyat Programme, Prof. Mohammad Nuh, has stated that the role of the Head Teacher is one of the keys to the programme’s success. Therefore, it is important to monitor the performance of Head Teachers at Sekolah Rakyat. ‘Please ensure that monitoring of performance, mentoring of Head Teachers, and the development of Head Teachers are not discretionary activities, carried out only occasionally, but are ongoing and periodic activities,’ said Prof Nuh in a statement on Wednesday (10/6/2026). He made the remarks during an Evaluation Meeting for the Implementation of Sekolah Rakyat at the Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos) office in Jakarta, Tuesday (9/6). According to him, Head Teachers have a fundamental role because they face direct conditions in the field every day. Prof Nuh also explained that Sekolah Rakyat aims not only to produce outputs but also to create an impact for the community, making public responses based on what is seen, felt, and analysed very important. ‘So these three units—seeing, feeling, and analysing—are important. Although it (Sekolah Rakyat) appears to be very good and people are happy, if the reasoning is not sound, it will not work for certain groups,’ he said. Furthermore, Prof Nuh highlighted the need to optimise budget use so that expenditure can be more efficient while still providing maximum impact. He noted that the savings from this efficiency could also be used for other useful purposes. ‘The optimisation we mean is a process that is now our responsibility. We must optimise it thoroughly, and not be lulled by the flattery given by the state or the government, as if everything we ask for is granted. We must also be fully aware that the government’s budget is limited,’ said Prof Nuh. On the same occasion, Secretary General of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Robben Rico, reported that as of Tuesday (9/6), of the 166 pioneer Sekolah Rakyat schools that have been operating for approximately 11 months, 59 have been accredited. ‘Of those 59, visitation has been conducted for an additional 37 pioneer Sekolah Rakyat schools, and God willing, their accreditation will be issued soon, followed by another 70 schools that are currently being scheduled by BAN-PDM for field visits,’ said Robben Rico. Regarding the construction of permanent Sekolah Rakyat buildings at 93 sites, there is a need for human resources, including head teachers, teachers, and educational staff. The 166 existing head teachers from the pioneer schools will remain in post, but there is a need for 33 new head teachers to fill the permanent school locations that previously had no pioneer school. ‘Today, we are asking for 99 candidates in each location, with three proposed candidates from the local government, whose names are submitted to us for selection as we did last year,’ said Robben. Meanwhile, regarding the need for educational staff and teachers, a recruitment process is currently underway, with a requirement for 5,127 educational staff, 3,053 subject and class teachers, and 331 religious teachers. ‘The registration process is ongoing, and their employment status will be P3K for payroll purposes, making them employees of the Ministry of Social Affairs,’ he concluded.