The Minister Of Social Affairs Ensures That People's Schools Start This Year

Minister of Social Affairs Saifullah Yusuf visited Pasuruan to review the readiness of the Pasuruan Regency Government and City Government in implementing the People's School program, Wednesday (14/5/2025). ANTARA/HO-Kominfo Pasuruan Regency

PASURUAN - Minister of Social Affairs (Mensos) Saifullah Yusuf ensured that the People's School program will start this year by prioritizing students from poor and extreme poor families.

"This people's school is prioritized for students from poor and extreme poor families," said the Minister of Social Affairs as quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, May 14.

He explained that the People's School will provide quality free education for students who fall into the Desil 1 and Desil 2 categories in the National Sole Social Economic Data (DTSEN).

In the program, students will not go through academic tests in order to open access for people who are unable to go to school.

Social Minister Saifullah Yusuf is familiarly called Gus Ipul emphasized that student selection will begin through a verification process starting from surveys, interviews with prospective students' parents, to health checks to ensure students who are accepted meet the requirements.

Not only that, Gus Ipul stated that the People's School program is a central government program originating from APBN funds so that local governments only need to prepare buildings, both buildings that are already available and new buildings according to the provisions.

During this visit, the Minister of Social Affairs appreciated the readiness of the Pasuruan Regency Government (Pemkab) and the Pasuruan City Government (Pemkot) which provided buildings for public schools.

"Thank you to the Pasuruan Regency Government and City Government for preparing buildings and land for the construction of the People's School," he said briefly.

The Pasuruan Regency Government itself has prepared the former Pasuruan Regency Government Building on Jalan Hayam Wuruk to be used as the People's School Building.

Meanwhile, the Pasuruan City Government chose the Kandangsapi I SDN building to be used as a People's School building.

In addition, the City Government has also prepared an area of eight hectares to be used as a People's School building for elementary to high school levels.

Pasuruan Regent Rusdi Sutejo explained that currently the rehabilitation process for the former Regency Government building has been carried out. Later there will be three groups studying (rombel) at the junior high school level and three RAMbel at the high school level with a total quota of 150 students for the two levels of the school.

"More than 500 interested people have been selected. Of that number, 150 children will be selected again, which really meet the requirements to be proposed as public school students," said Rusdi.