Indonesia Social Minister addresses Sekolah Rakyat governance and violence allegations

Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf held a consolidation meeting with heads of Sekolah Rakyat from across Indonesia in Makassar to strengthen educational governance. The initiative aims to address the complex needs of students, many of whom come from vulnerable families and face challenges including social trauma, limited educational access, and mental health issues.

Currently, Sekolah Rakyat operates across 182 locations nationwide, covering elementary, middle, and high school levels. The Ministry is working to improve management, teacher availability, and dormitory supervision to ensure students receive empathetic support and proper character development.

Separately, Minister Yusuf addressed allegations of physical violence at the Sekolah Rakyat Terintegrasi in Jember, East Java. Reports suggest that Universitas Pertahanan (Unhan) students, tasked with discipline and mentorship, allegedly assaulted several students following a smoking incident. While the Minister noted that the mentorship program involving 1,500 Unhan students has generally been successful, he emphasized a zero-tolerance policy for violence and stated that the Ministry will coordinate with Unhan if the allegations are proven. The victims' families have filed a formal report with the Jember Police.