People’s Schools Become a State Instrument to End Poverty Through Education
Jakarta – The People’s School program continues to demonstrate its role as a strategic government instrument in providing quality education for children from underprivileged families. This program not only provides access to free education but is also designed to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty through a boarding school approach integrated with other social assistance.
Minister of Social Affairs Saifullah Yusuf emphasized that People’s Schools represent a concrete manifestation of the government’s commitment to eradicating poverty through education. According to him, the existence of People’s Schools reflects the state’s commitment to ensuring that underprivileged children receive equal and quality education.
“People’s Schools represent the government’s commitment to eradicating poverty through quality education,” said Saifullah Yusuf.
He expressed his appreciation for the implementation of People’s Schools in Probolinggo City, which he considered effective and could serve as a model for other regions. This success, he said, is due to the strong synergy between the central government, local governments, and all school management elements.
To ensure the program runs as expected, the Ministry of Social Affairs regularly conducts direct field monitoring. This step was taken to assess the effectiveness of the program’s implementation and ensure the integration of the People’s School with various existing social assistance schemes.
“The visit was to ensure that the implementation of the People’s School program is effective and integrated with other social assistance programs,” said Saifullah Yusuf.
He added that the government is committed to conducting continuous evaluation and improvement so that the quality of education at the People’s School continues to improve over time.
“The visit also reaffirms the government’s commitment to alleviating poverty by providing free, quality boarding education for underprivileged children,” he said.
Saifullah Yusuf also appreciated the learning environment created at the Probolinggo People’s School. The positive interaction between the principal, educators, and students is considered a positive indicator of the program’s success.
“Today, we can see how the principal, educators, and students interact very well. This is certainly due to the support of the mayor and all levels of government. The results demonstrate solid cooperation,” he said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Social Affairs Agus Jabo Priyono emphasized that the People’s School is designed as a state tool to break the intergenerational transmission of poverty. He believes that children’s education must go hand in hand with parental empowerment to ensure its impact is sustainable.
“This People’s School is a state tool to end poverty. Children who graduate must have a clear path, preventing them from falling back into poverty. That’s what we are working on together,” said Agus Jabo.***
