Why Prabowo's Government is Building 'Sekolah Rakyat' Boarding Schools

The Ministry of Public Works has confirmed that the construction of ‘Sekolah Rakyat’ (People’s Schools) is being accelerated ahead of the 2026/2027 academic year. The programme, a priority of President Prabowo Subianto’s administration, is designed as a free boarding school for children from underprivileged families.

Public Works Minister Dody Hanggodo stated that the President views education as the fastest way to lift communities out of poverty. ‘The President sees that the quickest way to uplift people who are still below the poverty line is through education. That is why Sekolah Rakyat was built as a boarding school. If it were just a morning school and they went home in the afternoon, they would go back to helping their parents earn a living. That is not what the President wants,’ he said during CNBC Indonesia’s Economic Update.

The schools will provide not only classrooms but also complete living facilities to support students throughout their education. The government is preparing dormitories, dining halls, sports facilities, and learning equipment, including laptops, to ensure optimal development. ‘Everything is complete there. There are teachers’ dormitories, students’ dormitories, dining areas, sports facilities, and even laptops are provided. This programme is completely free of charge and is exclusively for children from underprivileged families. When the public sees it, the Sekolah Rakyat we are building might be better than the best boarding schools in the country,’ the minister added.

Physical construction is now in its final stages. The Ministry of Public Works is targeting all facilities to be functional by the start of the new school year, allowing students to move in immediately even if minor finishing works remain. ‘This year we are building around 93 Sekolah Rakyat. As of 20 June 2026, the average progress is around 81 to 82 percent. I hope that by the time the new school year starts in mid-July, everything will be finished. If not 100 percent, at least it will be functional so children can start using it while we complete the minor remaining work,’ he explained.

The Ministry of Public Works is responsible for supporting the programme’s infrastructure development, while the implementation of education, curriculum, and school management is handled collaboratively with other relevant ministries and agencies. ‘Our focus at the Ministry of Public Works is purely on building the infrastructure. Not just the buildings, but also electricity, Wi-Fi, clean water, sanitation, beds, and learning facilities. The curriculum and educational operations are the responsibility of other ministries. This programme is a joint effort to achieve the main goal of breaking the chain of poverty through education,’ Dody stated.