January 14, 2026 | 09:29 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Presidential Palace claims that the People's School is an "out of the box" approach to eradicating poverty. State Secretary Minister Prasetyo Hadi referred to the program as part of the government's grand strategy for the society's welfare.
According to Prasetyo, Indonesia needs to think boldly and outside the box to break the cycle of poverty. "We can't wait, that's why we dare to realize this people's school," said Prasetyo in a written statement on Wednesday, January 14, 2026.
Prasetyo mentioned that the People's School, which was initiated by President Prabowo Subianto's administration in July 2025, is intended for students from the neediest or most economically challenged families. The students come from families in the lowest two deciles (1 and 2) of the National Single Data of Social Economy.
Prasetyo hopes that the People's School will provide access to education for children who have difficulty obtaining it. According to this Gerindra Party politician, education must be improved alongside other sectors to truly address poverty.
Education, he said, is a crucial factor for welfare alongside economic improvement and food security. He stated that improving these sectors is crucial to achieving the Indonesia Gold 2045 target. "This is the goal of the nation, that we must provide opportunities to all of our citizens, especially in terms of access to education," he said.
In addition to the People's School, Prasetyo mentioned that the government also has several initiatives to improve the quality and access to education. This includes school renovations, improving the quality of teachers, and providing interactive flat panels (IFP) for digital learning.
President Prabowo previously inaugurated 166 People's Schools spread across 34 provinces on Monday, January 12, 2026. These hundreds of schools have been operational since July until October 2025. Prabowo's inauguration ceremony took place at the People's School of the Center for Social Welfare Education and Training (BBPPKS) in the city of Banjarbaru in South Kalimantan Province.
Currently, the hundreds of operational People's Schools have received 15,954 students. These educational facilities are spread across 34 provinces and 131 regencies and cities. Prabowo targets the construction of 500 People's Schools with around a thousand students per school by the end of his term in 2029.
Ervana Trikarinaputri contributed to this article
Read: Indonesia's People's Schools Enroll 15,000 Students Since July 2025 Launch
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