Social Affairs Minister Reports Progress on Construction of 93 Permanent School Buildings

Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf, also known as Gus Ipul, has revealed the progress regarding the construction of 93 ‘Sekolah Rakyat’ (SR) buildings. The development of these permanent structures is a follow-up to direct instructions from President Prabowo Subianto.

Gus Ipul delivered this report in the presence of President Prabowo during a visit to the SMRP 17 school in Tabanan, Bali, on Sunday afternoon. One of the permanent SR buildings currently under development is located in Karangasem, Bali.

“Because the initial 166 sites were pilot ‘Sekolah Rakyat’ locations, we are now, following the President’s direction, constructing permanent buildings for Sekolah Rakyat throughout Indonesia,” Gus Ipul stated in his report.

“For this phase, 93 sites are currently in progress, including one in Karangasme Regency, Bali. It is expected that once completed, the current occupants will move into these permanent facilities,” he continued.

Gus Ipul aims to expand construction to more than 100 permanent SR buildings next year, with the goal of enabling the schools to reach 90,000 students. The permanent buildings will be equipped with various facilities, including teacher dormitories, libraries, laboratories, sports facilities, and spaces for extracurricular activities.

Since commencing operations in 2025, there have been 166 pilot ‘Sekolah Rakyat’ sites spread across 133 regencies and cities in Indonesia. In its first academic year, the program served 15,000 students, which has since increased to an allocation for 32,000 students this year.

“For the 2025-2026 period, there were more than 15,000 existing students, and for 2026-2027, the allocation is for more than 32,000 students. This means a total of over 45,000 students this year. Next year, for 2027-2028, we expect to exceed 100,000,” he added.