Indonesia implements Sekolah Rakyat to combat poverty through education

The Indonesian government is utilizing the Sekolah Rakyat program to target poverty alleviation by supporting approximately 44,000 students and their families across 182 schools. Managed under the Ministry of Social Affairs, the initiative aims to build sustainable family independence rather than just providing free education.

To achieve this, the program integrates social assistance, health insurance via BPJS Kesehatan, and economic empowerment through the Program Keluarga Harapan (PKH) and food aid. The strategy focuses on empowering parents alongside students to ensure families can move beyond poverty through combined educational and economic support.