Indonesia's Sekolah Rakyat program aims to enroll 150,000 students by 2027

The Indonesian government is expanding the Sekolah Rakyat (People's School) initiative to reduce school dropouts and provide education for street children. Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya reported that the program has already reached about 43,000 children and is converting under‑used public buildings into temporary schools to deliver immediate education, meals, health coverage and supplies.

Minister of Social Affairs Saifullah Yusuf set a longer‑term target of more than 150,000 students enrolling in Sekolah Rakyat by 2027. The plan calls for each city or regency to have at least one permanent school building with a capacity of over 2,000 pupils. Construction of new facilities is underway, with 100 new schools expected to be operational by the end of August and additional pilot sites repurposed from ministry buildings.

In Central Java, a pilot school aims to serve 35,000 students, currently accommodating 2,692. The program is part of President Prabowo Subianto’s directive to broaden access to formal education for vulnerable children across Indonesia.