Social Affairs Minister Proposes Doubling of 'Sekolah Rakyat' Budget

Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf has proposed increasing the budget for the Sekolah Rakyat (People’s Schools) programme by approximately twofold in 2027. The proposal was submitted in line with the government’s plan to expand the programme’s capacity from 48,000 students in 2026 to 100,000 students the following year.

“We expect double the Rp 4.3 trillion allocated this year,” Saifullah said at the Ministry of Social Affairs office in Jakarta on Wednesday, 17 June 2026.

According to Saifullah, the additional budget is needed to support the expansion of student numbers as well as the operation of permanent schools that will begin use in the 2026-2027 academic year. The government is targeting that the learning process can take place in some of the permanent Sekolah Rakyat buildings by this coming July.

He explained that there are currently 166 Sekolah Rakyat in operation. However, they are still using temporary buildings that utilise facilities belonging to the Ministry of Social Affairs or local governments.

For this reason, the ministry initially targeted building 104 permanent buildings by the end of 2026. Of that number, 93 sites are targeted to be ready for use before the new academic year begins, while the remainder are still under construction.

According to Saifullah, the relocation process from pioneer schools to permanent buildings will also be carried out in stages. This is because the teaching staff and education personnel at the new locations do not yet meet requirements. For the time being, the Ministry of Social Affairs will request support from local governments to provide teachers during the first three months of permanent school operations.

“We may still experience a shortage of education personnel in the new places. So we need assistance from the regions, temporary teachers requested to help Sekolah Rakyat in the first phase,” he said.

Saifullah confirmed that all construction of Sekolah Rakyat is financed through the State Revenue and Expenditure Budget (APBN). The investment value for building each school varies, ranging from Rp 250 billion to Rp 300 billion, depending on the land area and soil conditions at each location. “The average value is between Rp 250 billion and Rp 300 billion per school, depending on the land area and soil conditions of each,” he said.