Teacher Ignites Dreams at Banyumas People's School

Banyumas (ANTARA) - When entrusted with the mandate as head of the People’s Middle School (SRMP) 13 Banyumas for the 2025/2026 academic year, Siti Isbandiyah admitted she cried during the first week of accompanying children from impoverished families, deeply moved by witnessing the limitations they experience firsthand. That emotional experience became the starting point of Isbandiyah’s journey leading SRMP 13 Banyumas, which temporarily occupies one of the Ministry of Social Affairs’ Technical Implementation Units, the Satria Baturraden Centre, in Banyumas Regency, Central Java. As an educator who has taught for years in various senior high schools, from ordinary to elite institutions, Isbandiyah said the experience at the People’s School changed her perspective on the meaning of education. Before accepting the mandate as head of SRMP 13 Banyumas, she had only recently taken up the post of principal at SMA Negeri 2 Purwokerto after previously leading SMA Negeri 1 Purwokerto. Both schools are well known to the public as elite schools in Banyumas Regency. “At this People’s School, one must have a sincere, patient, and selfless spirit. What we face is not just learning, but how to prepare them to dare to break the chain of poverty,” she said. In the early days, she witnessed children arriving in concerning physical conditions. Some had small bodies suspected to be due to malnutrition, some were orphans, and others were being cared for by relatives after losing their parents. According to her, merely surviving in such conditions was already a huge struggle. However, a year later, the scene changed drastically. The children who initially arrived with low self-esteem now appear cleaner, healthier, and more confident. They wake up early, pray, participate in dormitory activities, and study with discipline, actively engaging in various self-development activities. “If you see them now, people would not guess they come from decile 1 or decile 2 families. Their appearance has changed, and their behaviour is far more character-driven,” she said. According to Isbandiyah, this change was born from comprehensive mentoring. In addition to learning and care at school, students receive health services from the community health centre, support from the Satria Centre, and family assistance as part of efforts to improve their quality of life. However, the biggest change is visible in how the children view the future. In regular schools, Isbandiyah was accustomed to hearing students aspire to become doctors, military personnel, police officers, teachers, or engineers. In contrast, at the People’s School, a simple question about aspirations was often met with doubt. One day, a student said he wanted to become a travelling cilok vendor. Isbandiyah admitted she was shocked, not because of the profession itself, but because that was the extent of the child’s dream. She did not dismiss his wish. Instead, she invited the student to imagine a greater possibility: owning a famous cilok restaurant known internationally.