Social Affairs Minister Clarifies Military Academy's Role in 'Sekolah Rakyat' Programme
Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf, known as Gus Ipul, has provided an explanation regarding the involvement of the Military Academy (Akmil) in the Sekolah Rakyat programme. He stated that Akmil cadets will set an example of disciplined living akin to soldiers.
“The Akmil cadets can provide an example to Sekolah Rakyat students, who also attend boarding schools. How to wake up in the morning, clean their beds, tidy up their equipment or belongings. How they wear their shoes, wear their uniforms. The essence is to help strengthen discipline,” Gus Ipul said after attending a seminar at the National University in South Jakarta on Tuesday.
Gus Ipul likened the cadets’ involvement to university students undertaking a Community Service Programme (KKN). They will be deployed to a number of schools. “So, the duration is only five days. It is like their KKN, like the Akmil’s KKN, something like that. So later they will be divided among several schools,” he added.
Gus Ipul confirmed that Sekolah Rakyat students will not receive military training when the Akmil cadets are deployed. Students will only receive instruction on discipline and marching drills. “There is no military training there. Certainly not, not specifically for that. But for marching drills, yes. How they can be punctual, clean, then follow the schedule, prepare themselves before participating in lessons,” he revealed.
Previously, the Ministry of Social Affairs, in collaboration with the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI), planned to deploy around 1,000 first- and second-year Military Academy cadets to mentor students at 178 Sekolah Rakyat locations. The boarding guidance programme will last for five days at each site, from 3 to 8 August 2026.
Deputy Social Affairs Minister Agus Jabo Priyono stressed that the involvement of the cadets is not to replace the role of teachers in the classroom, but to provide mentoring to students in boarding life. “This programme only lasts for five days, from 3 to 8 August. The aim is to help children living in dormitories become more independent. They will be guided to do simple things, such as tidying cupboards, making beds, and getting used to neatness in their uniforms,” Agus Jabo said in a statement on Monday.
According to him, the cadets will act as boarding life mentors so that students can adapt to their new environment comfortably, even though they must live far from their families. “Cadets do not teach in classrooms like teachers. They provide guidance in the dormitories so that Sekolah Rakyat children can live calmly and comfortably even though they do not live under the same roof as their families. They also provide guidance to prevent all forms of violence, including bullying or violence from senior students to junior students,” Agus Jabo said.
He explained that the implementation of the programme has a clear legal basis, namely Presidential Instruction Number 8 of 2025 concerning the Optimisation of Poverty Alleviation and the Elimination of Extreme Poverty. Agus Jabo added that Akmil cadets were chosen based on their experience in living a boarding life, making them considered capable of guiding students with the right approach. “Why cadets? Because they understand how to live in a dormitory. That experience is what we want to pass on to Sekolah Rakyat children so they can adapt quickly and develop independent characters,” he said.
In its implementation, each Sekolah Rakyat site will be intensively mentored by five cadet personnel. The guidance material covers various basic daily life skills, such as ironing uniforms, tidying bed sheets and wardrobes, polishing shoes, and building independent living habits in the dormitory.