TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian government is expanding its People's Schools program, with plans to establish 182 new school units by the end of 2026 under President Prabowo Subianto's administration.
Deputy for Partnership and Media Relations at the Government Communication Bureau (Bakom) Kurnia Ramadhana said the program currently operates 166 People's Schools as of mid-2026.
"In the 2026/2027 academic year, the implementation of People's Schools will be expanded from 166 to 182 schools," Kurnia said in a statement on Friday, July 24, 2026.
Kurnia said the expansion is aimed at providing greater access to education for children from poor and extremely poor families.
According to data from the Ministry of Social Affairs as of July 17, 2026, 166 People's School Initiatives have enrolled 14,776 students in the 2025/2026 academic year.
The schools are currently spread across 141 districts and cities in 34 provinces across Indonesia.
For the 2026/2027 academic year, the government targets increasing enrollment to 28,568 students in line with the expansion of school units. The figure includes 6,305 elementary school students, 11,186 junior high school students, and 11,077 senior high school students.
"Therefore, the total number of students at People's Schools across elementary, junior high, and senior high school levels, including existing and temporary targets, will reach 43,344 students this year," Kurnia said.
Kurnia said the boarding school-based program for children from poor and extremely poor families will continue to expand in the coming years.
The government aims to establish an additional 100 to 200 People's Schools annually during the 2027/2028 period.
By 2029, the administration plans to build 500 new People's Schools across 38 provinces and 416 districts and cities.
"The government continues to measure the medium- and long-term impacts of this program," Kurnia said.
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