Mensos Emphasizes Public Schools Target Poor Families, This Year Nearly 16 Thousand Students

Minister of Social Affairs (Mensos) Saifullah Yusuf attends an activity at the Majalengka Youth Arena (GGM), West Java, Friday (24/4/2026). ANTARA/Fathnur Rohman.

JAKARTA - Social Minister (Mensos) Saifullah Yusuf emphasized that the People's School program, including in Majalengka, West Java, is focused on targeting the poorest or poorest families as part of integrated poverty alleviation efforts.

"This program is for the most vulnerable families, and we ensure that those who can go to school here are those who really need it," said the Minister of Social Affairs when met after an activity at the Majalengka Youth Arena (GGM), Friday, April 24, reported by ANTARA.

He said the program was a follow-up to President Prabowo Subianto's strategic policy, which integrated access to education with family economic empowerment.

"In addition to his children being able to go to school, their parents are also empowered and intervened with other strategic programs," he said.

According to him, the People's School not only provides education services for children, but also presents social interventions to parents.

The interventions include repairing uninhabitable houses, providing recipients of membership fees (PBI) for national health insurance (JKN), and skills training.

With this approach, said the Minister of Social Affairs, the government targets that the beneficiary families (KPM) can be more independent and experience an increase in their standard of living.

The Minister of Social Affairs said that nationally, the number of students in People's Schools this year reached almost 16,000 students.

"In 2026 we allocated more than 30,000 additional, so this year there will be more than 45,000 students of the People's School," he said.

The Minister of Social Affairs said that in 2027 the number of program recipients is targeted to increase by around 100,000 students throughout Indonesia.

In Majalengka Regency, he continued, this program has begun through the pilot People's School which is still using a temporary building.

"Because the land is clear, this year God willing, a permanent building with a capacity of 1,000 students will be built," he said.

He also invited the public to monitor the selection process so that the People's School program is targeted for the least able families.

"I want everyone to supervise because the selection process starts this year and we make sure that the one who is accepted is the least capable," said the Minister of Social Affairs.