Antara News·Indonesia·Monday, October 19, 2026 at 12:43 PM UTC

Indonesia taps Sekolah Rakyat to break poverty cycle: Minister

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A.P. Dewi, Tegar Nurfitra

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The tuition-free Sekolah Rakyat (People's School) program is a key component of Indonesia's strategy to alleviate poverty through human capital development, Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment Abdul Muhaimin Iskandar said.

"The Sekolah Rakyat program was fundamentally designed to reach the poor, particularly those beyond the reach of policies," he said in Jakarta on Monday.

He noted that the national priority program reflects the government's commitment to expanding access to quality education for children in underserved communities.

As one of President Prabowo Subianto's flagship initiatives, the program has helped create opportunities for children from disadvantaged families to build a better future through education, he added.

To date, nearly 15,000 students have enrolled in boarding schools established under the program since its launch last year.

Iskandar further said that Sekolah Rakyat had encouraged the development of an education system better tailored to the potential and needs of each student.

He emphasized that every child in Indonesia, regardless of socioeconomic background, deserves the opportunity to grow and develop.

With that in mind, the minister stressed the importance of complementing progress achieved through Sekolah Rakyat with efforts to help students develop their potential and skills to pursue higher education or enter the workforce.

Such efforts are essential to ensuring that education serves as a pathway for people to improve their living standards and break the cycle of poverty, he added.

He said the approach aligns with his ministry's agenda of placing citizens at the center of community empowerment and development, enabling young people to become self-reliant and contribute to the economy.

Furthermore, Iskandar stressed that meaningful community empowerment requires the responsible and accountable use of state funds.

"Every rupiah allocated in the state budget must support empowerment," he said.

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