Indonesia Expands "Sekolah Rakyat" Program to 182 Locations, Addresses Student Health

Indonesia is expanding its "Sekolah Rakyat" (SR) program, aiming to increase the number of locations from 166 to 182 by 2026. This initiative is designed to provide education for students from poor and extremely poor families, transitioning from a pilot model to more sustainable permanent institutions.

According to Kurnia Ramadhana, Deputy for Partnership and Media Relations at the Government Communication Agency (Bakom), the expansion will accommodate more students. In the 2025/2026 academic year, 166 SRs in 141 regencies/cities across 34 provinces served 14,776 students. This number is projected to rise to 28,568 students in the 2026/2027 academic year, encompassing primary, junior, and senior high school levels. The total projected enrollment for this year is 43,344 students.

The SR program, which includes boarding facilities, is a government effort to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty. Future plans aim to add 100 to 200 SR locations annually between 2027 and 2028, with a target of 500 SR locations nationwide by 2029. Ramadhana expressed hope that SRs will not only improve educational access for disadvantaged children but also alleviate economic burdens on families.

Separately, the government shared findings from its "Free Health Check Program" for students conducted between January 1 and July 14, 2026. The most common health issues identified were dental caries (40.8% of students), anemia in adolescent girls (27.3%), and hypertension (21.7%). Other issues included earwax impaction (6.0%) and obesity (6.7%). The program has reportedly received positive responses from students.

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Kurnia menuturkan, berdasarkan hasil pemeriksaan periode 1 Januari hingga 14 Juli 2026, ada lima masalah kesehatan pada peserta didik paling sering ditemukan. Pertama, 40,8 persen siswa mengalami karies atau gigi berlubang. Kedua, 27,3 persen remaja putri mengalami anemia.