Tackling Delays, Public Works Minister Directly Oversees Sekolah Rakyat Construction
The Ministry of Public Works (PU) has confirmed that the construction of 93 Sekolah Rakyat (SR) Phase II, which continues in various regions, will be pursued to be completed in accordance with the schedule target of 20 June 2026, so that they can be used in the July 2026 new academic year.
Amid various on-site implementation challenges, the Ministry of Public Works stressed that Sekolah Rakyat construction will not be left to stall, as the programme forms part of President Prabowo Subianto’s strategic agenda to expand access to quality education for the people. As of 20 May 2026, average physical progress had reached 59 percent.
To this end, Public Works Minister Dody Hanggodo personally visited various construction sites to ensure acceleration of works and to seek solutions to technical obstacles faced at each project site.
“I must go around in person to monitor progress. Not only to monitor, but also to provide solutions to field problems that are sometimes not anticipated,” said Minister Dody.
According to Dody, Sekolah Rakyat construction is highly complex because it is undertaken simultaneously in many regions with different problem characteristics. Therefore, the handling cannot be carried out with the same approach at every location.
“It must be admitted that the construction of Sekolah Rakyat has indeed been somewhat beyond my expectations. With the professional composition in place, delays like these should not have occurred. But what’s done is done; now our task is to ensure everything is completed on time,” he said.
In running Sekolah Rakyat, the Ministry of Public Works has also formed an Acceleration Task Force (Satgas Percepatan) involving the Directorate General of Cipta Karya, the Directorate General of Prasarana Strategis, and all parties. Additional technical staff from the centre have also been deployed to several locations to strengthen supervision and speed up construction.
“We inject technical personnel from Jakarta at each site to ensure they truly focus on addressing on-site issues and to ensure progress is underway,” said Dody.
In some locations facing staffing limitations or other technical obstacles, the Ministry of Public Works has also opened cross-sector support options to help accelerate works. Dody cited that in several locations, additional support such as personnel from Zeni TNI AD can be engaged to help speed up construction and tackle field constraints.
The acceleration of construction continues alongside quality oversight. Minister Dody stated that Sekolah Rakyat is a strategic programme of President Prabowo Subianto to break the chain of extreme poverty through education.
“Sekolah Rakyat is being prepared to provide better access to education for the community. Therefore, the quality of its buildings must be safeguarded,” he added.
The Ministry of Public Works also ensures that all construction processes prioritise quality standards, from material selection and execution methods to on-site supervision. At the same time, addressing various technical obstacles such as material mobilisation, construction access, and readiness of supporting infrastructure continues to be pushed so that the projects can be completed on time.
Sekolah Rakyat Phase II is being built permanently on land of 5-10 hectares prepared by the local government. Each site is designed as an integrated education hub for primary, junior high, and senior high schools, featuring technology-based classrooms, skills laboratories, libraries, digital learning centres, student and teacher dormitories, and other supporting facilities.