East Java has highest number of Sekolah Rakyat schools: Governor

Banyuwangi (ANTARA) - East Java is leading the implementation of Sekolah Rakyat (People’s School), a national flagship program offering tuition-free education, with the highest number of schools, according to Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa.

Without specifying the exact number, she highlighted that East Java hosts most Sekolah Rakyat schools, including those operating from temporary sites at government facilities and those already occupying permanent campuses.

“District and municipal governments are providing land for permanent school sites, with costs fully funded by the state budget,” Khofifah remarked during a visit to a Sekolah Rakyat school in Banyuwangi District on Saturday.

She described the priority initiative as a “critically strategic program” initiated by President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka.

The governor emphasized that Sekolah Rakyat reflects the government’s commitment to inclusive education by ensuring equal access to quality schooling for children from economically disadvantaged families.

Khofifah added that the approach forms part of efforts to break the cycle of poverty and nurture quality human resources in support of the Golden Indonesia 2045 vision.

She also highlighted progress in the construction of the Banyuwangi Sekolah Rakyat campus, noting that it has reached 88.7 percent completion and is projected to finish within the next 12 days.

The school is designed as an integrated educational complex spanning elementary, junior high, and senior high levels. It features student dormitories, modern classrooms, laboratories, multifunctional rooms, sports facilities, and spaces for worship.

Khofifah underscored the facilities as high-quality and supportive of optimal learning and teaching activities.

Furthermore, the governor sought to assuage parents' concern about the program's full-boarding concept, assuring them that students would receive quality formal education alongside character development.

The school she visited admitted 237 children for the 2026/2027 academic year, comprising 90 senior high school students, 90 junior high school pupils, and 57 others at the elementary level.

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Translator: N. Husdinariyanto, Tegar Nurfitra

Editor: Azis Kurmala

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