West Java DPRD Oversees Establishment of 'Sekolah Rakyat' in Cianjur to Curb Dropout Rates

The West Java Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) is overseeing the realisation of the ‘Sekolah Rakyat’ (People’s School) programme in Cianjur Regency, coordinating with the Ministry of Social Affairs so that the programme can reduce the number of school dropouts in the area. Abdul Karim, a member of Commission IV of the West Java DPRD, stated in Cianjur on Tuesday that the programme, initiated by President Prabowo, is an affirmative education initiative providing free boarding facilities for children from underprivileged or extremely poor families. He emphasised that this facility must be established in Cianjur Regency to address the high dropout rate and low average years of schooling, which are often caused by economic hardship and the long distances between homes and schools. “We will coordinate with relevant agencies from the district to the central level so that the Sekolah Rakyat site can be realised, like in other regions in Indonesia, because the presence of Sekolah Rakyat can answer the problem of school dropout rates in Cianjur,” he said. He noted that the issue of children dropping out due to economic reasons and distance is not limited to the southern or outermost areas. The presence of Sekolah Rakyat is seen as a solution, with plans to potentially divide its location between the northern and southern regions of Cianjur to cover students from all sub-districts. This would allow parents from poor backgrounds to enrol their children without having to worry about monthly costs, as all expenses are covered by the government. Sekolah Rakyat is a free boarding school programme initiated by the Ministry of Social Affairs in collaboration with local governments. He added that the Cianjur Regency Social Service has confirmed a site for the school in Cilaku District, with construction targeted for 2027 as part of the National Strategic Programme (PSN).