Social Minister: 29 Prospective Students for People's School in Jakarta Found While Busking

Social Minister (Mensos) Saifullah Yusuf, or Gus Ipul, has disclosed details of the outreach process for prospective students of the People’s School in Jakarta. Out of dozens of children screened, some were found working on the streets as buskers.

“From the 77 we invited, 29 of them we found on the streets. They were busking, helping their parents work,” said Gus Ipul in the Pejompongan area, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday (22/4/2026).

Gus Ipul explained that these prospective students are school-age children who are not attending school or have dropped out. They were directly reached by the Ministry of Social Affairs team through proactive field approaches.

“For example, we approach intersections, markets, or specific points where we see children who should be in school but are not,” he stated.

He emphasised that the recruitment process for People’s School students is not done through open registration, but via an outreach system. Once found, the children are recorded, verified, and confirmed with their parents or guardians.

“If the parents agree, we will certainly follow up to make them prospective People’s School students,” he clarified.

In addition to direct outreach, the Ministry of Social Affairs uses the National Integrated Social-Economic Database (DTSEN) to identify children at risk of dropping out. Gus Ipul added that the People’s School is a government programme to provide education access to children who have long been marginalised from the formal education system.

This programme not only provides education but also ensures students’ basic needs, from accommodation, nutritious food, to healthcare services.

“This is part of the President’s attention so that out-of-school children, those not yet in school, or at risk of dropping out can be reached,” he concluded.