Social Affairs Ministry Ensures 'Sekolah Rakyat' Ready for Simultaneous 2026 School Orientation
The Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos) is maturing preparations for the Sekolah Rakyat programme for the 2026/2027 Academic Year ahead of the commencement of the School Environment Introduction Period (MPLS). This step is being taken to ensure all facilities and systems are ready to welcome new students.
Minister of Social Affairs Saifullah Yusuf, known as Gus Ipul, led a preparatory service meeting at the Ministry of Social Affairs office on Thursday (25/6). Five main aspects were discussed during the meeting, ranging from facilities and infrastructure, student readiness, teacher and education personnel readiness, MPLS implementation readiness, to budget support for the operation of Sekolah Rakyat.
Gus Ipul stressed that all work units must ensure the basic needs of Sekolah Rakyat are met before MPLS begins. He requested that every development, from school construction to outstanding requirements, be reported in detail and in writing. “We want to ensure there are no delays. Everything must be mapped out from now, starting from construction, procurement, distribution of school supplies, to needs that are still lacking,” he said in a written statement on Thursday (25/6). He added that potential problems must be reported immediately so they can be resolved early, preventing any obstacles from emerging close to the MPLS implementation day.
Secretary General of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Robben Rico, conveyed that the construction of permanent Sekolah Rakyat buildings is ongoing at 93 locations. To date, no location has been fully completed, although several sites have shown significant progress. The five locations with the highest construction progress are currently in Medan, Surabaya, Gresik, Sampang, and Bengkulu. The achievements at these five sites serve as a benchmark for other locations still in the construction phase.
Anticipating the transition from pioneer Sekolah Rakyat sites to permanent buildings, Gus Ipul requested all ministry centres and offices to provide full assistance during the transition period. He also reminded them that this process must not lead to budget wastage. “Please assist with the transition from pioneer sites to permanent buildings. Report if there are procurements. Do not build unimportant things just to chase budget absorption,” he asserted.
In addition to physical readiness, the Ministry of Social Affairs is also finalising the student selection mechanism, especially in locations where the number of applicants exceeds the quota. The selection process will be conducted transparently with the involvement of local governments. This step aims to ensure that accepted students genuinely come from families with the highest levels of social and economic vulnerability. Local governments are involved to verify prospective student data in their respective regions.
Gus Ipul explained that the high public interest in Sekolah Rakyat demonstrates the significant need for educational access among vulnerable groups. The government is therefore preparing several alternatives so that children who are not accommodated can still obtain proper education access. “We see that the community’s need is very great. This serves as evaluation material as well as a basis for expanding the programme’s reach in the future,” he stated. He hopes that in the future, more children from poor families will be able to access quality education through this programme. The evaluation of applicant interest will form the basis for programme expansion in subsequent years.
On the human resources aspect, the Ministry of Social Affairs is continuing to accelerate the recruitment of teachers, foster guardians, dormitory supervisors, and education personnel. The placement of personnel is targeted to be completed before MPLS begins so that all schools are ready to carry out teaching and learning activities.
For the implementation of MPLS, Gus Ipul requested all schools to prepare educational and child-friendly activities. He stressed that activities must be free from violent practices or activities that could potentially cause controversy. “The purpose of MPLS is to introduce the school environment and build a spirit of learning. There must be no physical violence or activities that burden students,” he said. He added that many Sekolah Rakyat students come from vulnerable backgrounds, so the approach during MPLS must be humanistic and enjoyable. This is considered important so that students feel comfortable from their first day of school.
On the same occasion, Deputy Minister of Social Affairs Agus Jabo Priyono reported the results of cross-ministerial coordination at the Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Culture. He mentioned that the President is paying special attention to character building, discipline, and the neatness of Sekolah Rakyat students. As a follow-up, the Ministry of Defence will support the character-building programme through the assignment of cadets within the Sekolah Rakyat environment. Five cadets will be placed in each school to assist with student discipline development. Approximately 1,000 cadets are scheduled to begin deployment in early August 2026 and will serve for about one week in these schools. This placement is part of efforts to strengthen student character from the start of the academic year. “The President is paying special attention to the character building of Sekolah Rakyat students. Therefore, the Ministry of Defence will assist through the assignment of cadets,” said Agus Jabo.
Through the maturation of these various aspects, the Ministry of Social Affairs is targeting all Sekolah Rakyat to be ready to hold MPLS on 14 July 2026. The government hopes the implementation will provide a safe and memorable initial experience for students beginning their educational journey.