Prabowo's People's Schools Program to Reach 182 Units by 2026

Indonesia is set to significantly expand its "People's Schools" program, with plans to establish 182 new school units by the end of 2026 under President Prabowo Subianto's administration. This initiative aims to provide greater access to education for children from impoverished backgrounds.

As of mid-2026, the program operates 166 People's Schools, which have enrolled 14,776 students in the 2025/2026 academic year. These schools are spread across 141 districts and cities in 34 provinces. For the upcoming 2026/2027 academic year, the government targets increasing enrollment to 28,568 students, encompassing elementary, junior high, and senior high school levels.

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In the 2026/2027 academic year, the implementation of People's Schools will be expanded from 166 to 182 schools.

The boarding school-based program for children from poor and extremely poor families is slated for further growth in the coming years. The government aims to establish an additional 100 to 200 People's Schools annually during the 2027/2028 period. By 2029, the administration plans to build 500 new People's Schools across 38 provinces and 416 districts and cities.

The government continues to assess the medium- and long-term impacts of this program. Previous reports have highlighted challenges such as low enrollment rates in some areas, prompting calls for investigations into the reasons behind them. Officials have also warned against bribery in the enrollment process, emphasizing the program's goal of providing equitable educational opportunities.

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Therefore, the total number of students at People's Schools across elementary, junior high, and senior high school levels, including existing and temporary targets, will reach 43,344 students this year.