JAKARTA (January 7, 2025)— Minister of Social Affairs Saifullah Yusuf (Gus Ipul) asked the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen) to help realize the plan for Sekolah Rakyat (a boarding school for vulnerable children) to be built by Ministry of Social Affairs.

"Our visit has several points that we want to collaborate on, the point is we are asking for help from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education. The first is of course about President Prabowo's order for us to build Sekolah Rakyat," said Gus Ipul, when talking with the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Abdul Mu'ti, at the Kemendikdasmen office, Tuesday (1/7/2025).

Sekolah Rakyat, said Gus Ipul, is a school that will be pioneered to help underprivileged students, especially those who are in the extremely poor group so that they can attend school for free and with quality.

The order to establish Sekolah Rakyat was conveyed by President Prabowo during a community empowerment coordination meeting at the Bogor Presidential Palace, on Friday (1/3/2024).

Gus Ipul said that the establishment of Sekolah Rakyat must collaborate and coordinate with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education. "We came here to accelerate collaboration so that Sekolah Rakyat can be built soon," said the Secretary General of PBNU.

Sekolah Rakyat will resemble a boarding school so that it is not only free and of high quality but can also guarantee the nutritional intake of its students.

"The main purpose of Sekolah Rakyat is to break the chain of poverty. If the parents are poor, don't let their children become poor. This must be broken by sending them to school," said Gus Ipul.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Abdul Mu'ti welcomed the invitation from the Ministry of Social Affairs. He promised not only to help but also to be ready to collaborate to accelerate the realization of Sekolah Rakyat.

"PPDB (New Student Admission) that we have is actually to help those who are unable. There are 4 pathways, one of which is an affirmation for disabilities and underprivileged children are accommodated in public schools, so the concept is that the rich and the poor can gather," said the Secretary General of PP Muhammadiyah.

With the construction of Sekolah Rakyat, underprivileged children who may not have been accommodated in public schools can enter Sekolah Rakyat.

The Ministry of Education currently also has education volunteers who can be assigned. These education volunteers are usually placed in remote areas with small populations so it is not possible to build schools.