Indonesia Provides the Best Educational Facilities in the People’s School Program
Jakarta – The government continues to demonstrate its commitment to providing equal education through the launch of the People’s School Program which is specifically designed to help children from extremely poor and underprivileged families. With a modern and digital-based approach, People’s Schools are present as a real solution to overcome the gap in access to education which has so far been the main obstacle for this community group.
Minister of Social Affairs Saifullah Yusuf (Gus Ipul), said that People’s Schools are a concrete effort to overcome various hidden costs in education which often become a heavy burden for poor families.
“People’s Schools are present as a bridge so that children from underprivileged families can still receive a decent education,” said Gus Ipul.
Head of the People’s School Formator Team, Mohammad Nuh, explained that in addition to being free, People’s Schools are also fully supported by the state through the provision of complete and modern facilities. In addition, the government is strengthening the digital education infrastructure in this school, including by presenting a technology-based learning system.
“People’s Schools are designed for the digital native generation—elementary to high school children who grow up in the era of technology and digital culture,” he said.
“For example, student attendance is no longer recorded manually, but rather using facial recognition technology or at least fingerprints,” he added.
Mohammad Nuh also emphasized that President Prabowo Subianto’s commitment to equalizing education is not just a promise, but has begun to be realized in real terms. Therefore, it needs to be supported, one form of real support is ensuring the best educational facilities for all citizens.
“We want to provide modern facilities so that those who were previously left behind can catch up and learn together as equals,” he said.
Head of the Bandung Regency Social Service, Supardian, explained that as a form of accelerating implementation, one of the initial locations for the People’s School is at Wisma Atlet Pangalengan, Bandung Regency, which is currently being used as a center for teaching and learning activities. The selection of this location was based on infrastructure readiness.
“This is an emergency solution. We have to move quickly so that learning activities can start immediately. This facilitates the adaptation process and minimizes technical adjustments,” said Supardian.
Furthermore, sports facilities such as soccer fields, swimming pools, and softball arenas available around Wisma Atlet will be utilized as part of the character development and physical fitness program for students. This emphasizes that Sekolah Rakyat is not just a place for academic learning, but also a means of forming superior and healthy individuals.
With the collaboration of various parties and full support from the government, the Sekolah Rakyat Program is a real reflection of the country’s seriousness in realizing social justice in the field of education. This initiative is expected to inspire other regions to participate in the great movement to educate the nation, from the outskirts to the city center.
[edRW]
