Jakarta, 13 July 2025 – The “Sekolah Rakyat” or “People’s School” program—an initiative launched by President Prabowo Subianto to break the cycle of poverty through education—officially commences in the 2025/2026 academic year, beginning with the student orientation period on Monday, 14 July. The program is a key component of Indonesia’s broader vision of preparing a resilient human capital base for the Golden Indonesia 2045 agenda.

“Sekolah Rakyat is the direct implementation of the President’s fourth Asta Cita priority. President Prabowo believes that education is the most powerful tool to break the chain of poverty. Poverty must not become a legacy,” said Adita Irawati, Senior Expert Staff at the Presidential Communication Office (PCO), on Sunday (13 July).

Sekolah Rakyat is a fully funded, boarding school initiative designed specifically for children from impoverished and extreme-poverty households. According to Adita, many families in the lowest income decile—as recorded in Indonesia’s Unified National Socioeconomic Data (DTSEN) by the Central Statistics Agency (BPS)—still lack access to quality education due to financial constraints.

“While public schools are technically tuition-free, hidden costs such as transportation, meals, uniforms, and school supplies remain a burden. For families who struggle to put food on the table, these costs are simply unaffordable,” she explained.

Poverty restricts access to essential public services such as education, healthcare, and proper infrastructure. As of September 2024, BPS data shows that 24.06 million people—8.57% of the population—were living below the poverty line, including 3.17 million categorized as living in extreme poverty.

This reality presents a major challenge in realizing Indonesia’s 2045 development goals. Poverty severely hampers human capital development by limiting access to quality education, skills training, health services, and adequate nutrition. These constraints result in lower literacy and skill levels, reducing individuals’ chances of securing better-paying jobs and improving their economic prospects.

Economic hardship remains a significant barrier to equitable access to education. According to 2024 BPS data, the gross enrollment rate (GER) for senior secondary education among the lowest income households (quintile 1) was just 74.45%, compared to 97.37% in the highest quintile (quintile 5).

Children aged 16–18 have the highest rate of school non-enrollment at 19.2%. Approximately 730,703 junior secondary school graduates did not continue to senior high school, with 76% of families citing economic hardship as the primary reason. Another 8.7% of children were forced to work or faced family pressure that hindered their education.

Data from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (2022) further revealed a dropout rate of 1.12% at the junior secondary level and 1.19% at the senior secondary level.

In response, President Prabowo has launched the Sekolah Rakyat program to ensure children from vulnerable backgrounds can access equal and quality education without the burden of living expenses.

“With Sekolah Rakyat, all student needs—education, accommodation, meals, and supplies—will be fully covered by the state,” Adita affirmed.

More than just ensuring access, Sekolah Rakyat is designed to provide life skills based on each student’s talents and potential, empowering them to enter the workforce or start their own businesses. The goal is to enable these students to uplift not only themselves, but also their families and communities.

“President Prabowo Subianto has emphasized to his ministers that Sekolah Rakyat must be executed with precision, integrity, and genuine impact. These students are expected to become young leaders capable of contributing to the realization of Indonesia’s Golden Vision 2045,” Adita concluded.