100 Folk Schools Ready to Operate July 14, 2025

REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, CIMAHI -- Minister of Social Affairs Saifullah Yusup aka Gus Ipul said that as many as 9,700 students from poor and extreme poor families will start teaching and learning activities (KBM) at Sekolah Rakyat (folk school) on July 14, 2025. Activities will begin with the School Environment Introduction Period (MPLS).

“Insha Allah on July 14, 2025, we will begin the period of introduction of the Folk School. So our children begin orientation including teachers and educational personnel. Everyone can know each other,” said Gus Ipul after reviewing the Folk School in Sentra Abiyoso, Cimahi City, West Java on Saturday (12/7/2025).

Sekolah Rakyat is a full-boarding education program for children from economically vulnerable families initiated by President Prabowo Subianto. Initially the government targeted by July 14 there were 100 People's School spots accommodating 9,700 students.

Currently, which is ready to run the new MPLS 63 People's Schools. The rest will start at the end of July 2025. There are about 1,500 teachers and more 200 educational personnel involved from 100 Sekolah Rakyat points spread across Indonesia.

“Thank God I checked, the teacher, the principal, the students, and the equipment are ready. Parents have also been supportive. Earlier I had a dialogue so that everyone understood what President Prabowo wanted,” Gus Ipul said.

Gus Ipul said, People's Schools are prepared for elementary, junior high, to high school levels, with a tiered and continuous system. Later, the permanent school was designed to accommodate 1,000 students of all levels in one location.

Gus Ipul stressed that the participants of Sekolah Rakyat did not register publicly, but rather through selection based on the National Extreme Prosperity Integrated Data (DTSEN). “The conditions must be in decile 1 or 2 with the status of poor or extreme poor. There was a survey team, so it was surveyed and selected. We don't open registrations,” he said.

The selection process involves verifying the condition of the parents' home, assets, and income to ensure the accuracy of the data. All students will receive dormitory facilities, meals, uniform clothing, as well as character and academic education in full 24 hours. “If the status of the People's School diploma is the same as that of schools in general,” Gus Ipul said.

In its implementation, the Ministry of Social Affairs acts as operational responsibility. While curriculum and teacher recruitment are under the coordination of the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education. The infrastructure of the school is handled by the Ministry of Public Works. “Jebolan Sekolah Rakyat can continue to any school. But we were in control until we graduated from high school,” he said.