Recruitment for People's School Students 2026-2027 to Open Soon, Here Are the Requirements
The Ministry of Social Affairs will soon begin outreach or recruitment for People’s School (SR) students for the 2026/2027 academic year. This process is the initial step in ensuring that children from poor and extremely poor families can access decent education.
Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf, or Gus Ipul, stressed that the outreach approach is conducted actively by directly approaching prospective students and their families, rather than through an open registration mechanism.
“Now we are preparing to conduct outreach for People’s School students. So there is no opening of registration. Everyone is reached actively,” said Gus Ipul at the Ministry of Social Affairs office, quoted on Thursday (15/4/2026).
According to him, this proactive approach represents a change in student recruitment methods, where the state directly reaches out to target groups that have previously faced various barriers to education access.
The outreach is carried out collaboratively by Ministry of Social Affairs companions together with Social Services, education elements, and the Central Statistics Agency (BPS). Officers will go directly to the field to verify family conditions, ensure parental approval, and confirm that prospective students meet the established criteria.
This approach is considered capable of addressing various obstacles faced by the community, from economic limitations and lack of information to reluctance to access educational services.
Gus Ipul emphasised that this process still refers to the National Single Socio-Economic Data (DTSEN) as the basis for determining targets, particularly for families in deciles 1 and 2.
“Who are the targets? They are the most incapable families. Children who are not yet in school, out of school, dropouts, or at risk of dropping out,” said Gus Ipul.
Nepotism Strictly Prohibited
Furthermore, he reminded all parties involved in the outreach process to carry out their duties in accordance with applicable rules and procedures, and to maintain the integrity of implementation in the field.
“In line with the President’s directive, there must be no nepotism, no bribery, and no corrupt, collusive, or nepotistic practices,” he asserted.
“The Social Affairs Minister cannot recommend, nor can the Regent, Sub-district Head, or Village Head recommend,” he added.
According to him, the selection process must prioritise principles of prudence and be based on official data to ensure it reaches the most needy. “The main principle is that those who need it most must be prioritised,” he said.
Gus Ipul also reminded that recruitment is the most crucial point in the success of the People’s School. He warned against potential deviations such as data manipulation and external interventions.
“I repeat, be wary of nepotism, external interventions, and data manipulation. Please everyone help guard this,” he asserted.
In addition to the recruitment aspect, Gus Ipul highlighted the importance of creating a safe school environment free from violence. He emphasised that strict sanctions will be imposed on violators.
“Whoever commits physical or sexual violence in the People’s School environment, we will take firm action. There may be no more warnings; we will directly dismiss them,” he said.
He also stressed the importance of maintaining a peaceful and inclusive educational environment. “There must be no acts of intolerance. Peaceful is our choice to conduct peaceful education amid differences,” said Gus Ipul.
Here are the criteria for students wishing to join the People’s School:
Prospective students must be in decile 1 or decile 2. Decile 1 includes the 10 percent poorest families based on the National Single Socio-Economic Data (DTSEN), and decile 2 includes 11 to 20 percent from the same data.
Prospective students from the extremely poor group are prioritised.
Prospective students in decile 3 have the opportunity to receive free schooling if the quota is not yet fulfilled.
Parents or guardians are required to sign a statement that their child will commit to completing education until completion while participating in the People’s School programme.
Quoting from the official Ministry of Social Affairs website, here are the documents that parents must fulfil, including:
Parental statement letter that can be downloaded from the site https://s.kemensos.go.id/t7p.
People’s School Registration Form from the Ministry of Social Affairs, which can be obtained from the site https://sdmpkh.kemensos.go.id/sr/new/daftar-siswa.