West Sumatra Provincial Government to Establish Boarding Schools to Promote Educational Equity

Padang City (ANTARA) - The West Sumatra Provincial Government is preparing to establish boarding schools at the senior high school level to guarantee equal access to education in its 19 regencies and cities.

“Our initial target is for each regency and city to have at least one leading school with boarding facilities. This way, the benefits can be felt by the community,” said West Sumatra Governor Mahyeldi in Padang City on Saturday.

Mahyeldi stated that the construction of these boarding schools will prioritise educational institutions with a large number of students, available land, and support from the school committee, parents, and the surrounding community.

Furthermore, the construction of boarding facilities will also prioritise schools located in areas with limited access to education and transportation, before being expanded to more schools in West Sumatra.

“In the initial phase, this plan will be implemented in leading schools that serve students from various regencies and cities,” said the former Mayor of Padang.

The implementation of this program will be carried out gradually, according to the financial capacity of the region and the level of urgency of the needs in each school.

He explained that the construction of boarding schools is not only to support the equalisation of education quality but also to strengthen the character development of the younger generation.

He said that the geographical conditions of West Sumatra, with its hilly terrain and islands, mean that not all students have easy access to leading schools or schools with adequate educational facilities.

“We want children in West Sumatra to have the same opportunity to receive quality education without being constrained by distance and family economic conditions,” he said.

According to him, the presence of boarding schools not only functions as a place of residence for students but also becomes an important part of character building, discipline, and strengthening religious values and togetherness in the school environment.

The boarding school education model will provide more optimal space for student development, both in academic aspects and in the development of personality.

Thus, he said, schools can be more effective in shaping a superior, independent, and moral younger generation.

“Education is a long-term investment for the region that we should support together,” he said.