Khofifah Ensures Two Locations Of People's Schools In Unesa Are Ready To Operate

East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa (right) inspects the location of prospective People's Schools at the Surabaya State University (Unesa). ANTARA

East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa confirmed that the two locations for prospective People's Schools (SR) within the Surabaya State University (Unesa) of Lidah Wetan Campus are ready to operate and are disability-friendly.

"Alhamdulillah, we see Unesa's readiness to support the implementation of the Extraordinary People's School. Learning facilities and dormitories have been designed to be disability-friendly, so they are ready to accept students with special needs (ABK)," said Khofifah in a statement in Surabaya, Saturday.

He said the existence of SR at the Unesa Campus is also a form of effort to equalize education in all districts/cities in East Java.

The city of Surabaya itself had not previously proposed the location of the candidate for SR as the result of data collection by the Ministry of Social Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia as the program supervisor.

The facilities at Unesa are very complete, ranging from clinics, indoor and outdoor sports facilities, as well as an inclusive environment. This is an important point because it can accommodate disabled students," he said.

Furthermore, Governor Khofifah revealed that SR students will be able to access various facilities in the Unesa environment for talent and potential development, considering that the campus is a National Sport Science center.

"Therefore, we ask the Chancellor that this dormitory be proposed as a SR on behalf of the City of Surabaya. That way, 38 regencies/cities in East Java are physically ready to hold SR," he said.

Not only physical readiness, Khofifah also emphasized the importance of non-physical readiness in the form of an implementation concept. He appreciated the character-based education approach developed by Unesa, namely through the input, process, and output stages.

"This concept will be very good if it is presented at the RPJMD Coordination Meeting on April 29 in front of the regents/mayors and other stakeholders," he said.

On the other hand, the East Java Provincial Government also continues to coordinate actively with the central government regarding the implementation of SR, including family data collection in the Desil 1 category based on the National Sole Social Economic Data (DTSEN).

"About 42 percent of East Java's people are in Desil 1. So if the center uses this basis in recruiting SR participants, we are ready to implement it in July," he said.

The former Minister of Social Affairs added that the East Java Provincial Government is also waiting for further directions from the central government regarding learning mechanisms, educator recruitment, and the management of dormitories.

"For now, we are only at the stage of building readiness. The next process will adjust the directions from the center," he said.

Meanwhile, Unesa Chancellor Prof. Dr. Nurhasan emphasized the readiness of his institution in supporting the People's School Program.

According to him, Unesa has various advantages, including disability-friendly campuses, complete sports facilities, as well as art and cultural spaces.

"We have prepared the dormitory with a capacity of 150 people. If it is assigned by the government to organize high school level SR, we, God willing, are ready," he said.

This readiness, said Nurhasan, is expected to be an example for other regions so that the acceleration of poverty alleviation through education can be realized immediately.