DistantNews
Support us
🇮🇩 Indonesia /Culture & Society

Indonesia's People's School Program Shows Success in First Year

From Tempo · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan

- The Indonesian government's

Indonesia's "Sekolah Rakyat" (People's School) program, designed to help children who have dropped out or never attended school, particularly from impoverished families, is showing promising results after one year. Wakil Menteri Sosial (Wamensos) Agus Jabo Priyono stated that the program, a presidential priority, has begun to yield success.

It wasn't easy at first, but thankfully, over the past year, the program and its implementation have been quite successful overall.

— Agus Jabo PriyonoWakil Menteri Sosial Agus Jabo Priyono speaking about the "Sekolah Rakyat" program during a CNN Indonesia talkshow.

"It wasn't easy at first, but thankfully, over the past year, the program and its implementation have been quite successful overall," Priyono said during a CNN Indonesia talkshow on June 25, 2026. He highlighted improvements in students' self-confidence and physical well-being, noting that some who were once underweight have gained weight.

The state must educate those who cannot afford it. This is the concept of the people's school.

— Agus Jabo PriyonoWakil Menteri Sosial Agus Jabo Priyono explaining the core principle of the "Sekolah Rakyat" program.

Priyono emphasized that all Indonesian children deserve a proper education, with the state responsible for funding the schooling of those unable to afford it. The program extends beyond education, aiming to empower parents through vocational training to achieve financial independence and improve their livelihoods. This initiative is seen as a crucial step in breaking the cycle of poverty, ensuring that children do not inherit their parents' financial struggles.

The President does not want children to be poor just because their parents are poor. So, this people's school is the state's answer to breaking the chain of poverty.

— Agus Jabo PriyonoWakil Menteri Sosial Agus Jabo Priyono on the program's role in poverty reduction.

Support for the program is strong. Furtasan Ali Yusuf, a member of Commission X of the Indonesian House of Representatives, pledged 100 percent backing, viewing it as a means to help children realize their dreams. He stressed the need for integration with the national education system. Education and Career Consultant Ina Liem also endorsed the concept, noting its grounding in the reality of impoverished households, which are often not conducive to learning. She suggested that boarding school models offer more structured support for children.

I will definitely support it 100 percent. Because this is the President's way of encouraging children who have no dreams to realize them.

— Furtasan Ali YusufAnggota Komisi X DPR RI Furtasan Ali Yusuf expressing full support for the "Sekolah Rakyat" program.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Tempo in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog