Social Affairs Minister Praises East Java for Having the Most 'Sekolah Rakyat'

Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf, known as Gus Ipul, has expressed his appreciation for the commitment of regents, mayors, and the Governor of East Java in supporting the Sekolah Rakyat programme. East Java currently has the highest number of Sekolah Rakyat, with 26 pioneer schools spread across various regencies and cities. The appreciation was conveyed by Gus Ipul after attending the Sekolah Rakyat Open House for parents and prospective students at Sekolah Rakyat Menengah Atas 21 Surabaya, East Java, on Friday. “We thank all the regents and mayors, especially the Governor of East Java, who from the beginning provided extraordinary support for the implementation of the pioneer Sekolah Rakyat. East Java is the province with the most points for implementing these people’s schools,” said Gus Ipul. At the same time, 16 permanent Sekolah Rakyat buildings are under construction and are expected to be completed this July, ready for use in the 2026/2027 academic year. The target is for each permanent building to accommodate approximately one thousand students from elementary, junior high, and senior high school levels. “Across Indonesia, 104 permanent buildings will now be built, and 16 of them are in East Java,” said Gus Ipul. During the Sekolah Rakyat Open House, students performed various shows in front of the audience, including marching variations, hadrah, traditional dance, pencak silat, English and Arabic speeches, choir, and poetry. This activity aims to provide an opportunity for prospective students and their parents, community leaders, and local governments to see firsthand the learning development of Sekolah Rakyat students. Gus Ipul also engaged in dialogue with parents, students, and prospective students. “We saw earlier, the children’s performances on stage, they are now more confident, brave enough to appear on stage, answering every question firmly and clearly, and importantly, they are optimistic about facing the future,” said Gus Ipul. East Java Regional Secretary Adhy Karyono added that East Java fully supports the implementation of the Sekolah Rakyat programme. “East Java is very supportive, where now the most SRs are in East Java, totalling 26 points, while others are still below that. Then, 16 SR permanent campuses are being built to modern standards,” concluded Adhy.