Prabowo Breaks The Poverty Chain Through Rhythming Schools

JAKARTA - President Prabowo Subianto seeks to break the chain of poverty through a boarding education program aimed at especially for children from at least underprivileged families.

In his speech on the Halal Bihalal agenda with Retired TNI-Polri at Balai Kartini, Jakarta, Tuesday, the Head of State said the program would start rolling in July 2025 with the launch of around 53 to 55 primary schools throughout Indonesia.

"Usually in every country, boarding schools are for the youngest children, and we still run them. But this one is specifically for families who really can't afford it," he said as quoted by ANTARA, Tuesday, May 6.

The Head of State also said that this program targets the construction of at least 100 boarding schools every year.

On that occasion, the President emphasized the importance of courage to break the chain of poverty.

"If the father is a scavenger, his son should not be a scavenger. If his father is a pedicab driver, his son doesn't have to be a pedicab driver. We have to be brave first, then it's true, then it works," he said.

President Prabowo explained that the student selection process had begun with strict criteria, in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affairs, Kemenpan RB, and BPS to ensure that prospective participants really came from poor families.

One example shown through showing the image on the podium is Naila, the daughter of a family with an income of less than IDR 1 million per month and the dependents of five family members.

"So this, if you pay attention, this is the profile of the candidate who will be a student, his name is Naila. His parents earn less than 1 million, even though there are five dependents," he said.

In the show, there are also a number of children of the age of students posing in semi-permanent houses in relatively slum environments.