NAGAN RAYA, The Kabar News—President Prabowo Subianto inaugurated the Nagan Raya Sekolah Rakyat campus in Aceh on Wednesday, Nov. 11. His administration expanded a residential education program for children from low-income families and those previously outside the school system.

The campus, located in the Suka Makmue government office complex, offers elementary, junior high and senior high education in one area. The Nagan Raya district administration provided eight hectares of land. Meanwhile, the Public Works Ministry constructed the facilities under the president’s direction.

The complex includes school buildings, student dormitories and accommodation for teachers. It also provides a library, science laboratories and sports facilities to support academic and extracurricular activities.

During the inauguration, Prabowo said education formed a central part of the government’s strategy to break intergenerational poverty.

“We want to eliminate poverty from Indonesian soil, including through schools such as Sekolah Rakyat,” Prabowo said. “We support production and education. I am determined that Indonesian education must improve dramatically in the shortest possible time.”

“That is my resolve, my effort, my concern and my focus as President of the Republic of Indonesia: the best education for our children, as well as nutrition for our children,” he added.

The government describes Sekolah Rakyat as a tuition-free program serving children from economically vulnerable households. Its residential model provides education and daily necessities, reducing the financial barriers that often cause children to leave school.

Cabinet Secretary Teddy Indra Wijaya reported in October that the government had established 265 Sekolah Rakyat campuses, including permanent and pilot facilities.

He said the program had brought more than 45,000 children back into education during the administration’s first two years. The government reported these figures but has not yet published detailed national data on attendance, student retention or learning outcomes.

Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf said the government was developing the Nagan Raya campus as one of 100 permanent Sekolah Rakyat facilities across Indonesia.

“This is one of 100 permanent Sekolah Rakyat campuses built throughout Indonesia,” Saifullah said. “Aceh has nine Sekolah Rakyat campuses—five permanent and four pilot schools—with more than 2,000 students.”

The Nagan Raya campus has already enabled former school dropouts to resume their education. One student, Ulan Ulya Al Humairah, said she had left school in the third year of junior high before a Family Hope Program facilitator invited her to enroll. She is now a Grade 10 student.

“I am happy because I can pursue my dreams. I can now achieve what I want,” Ulan said in an account published by the Presidential Secretariat.

The government expects the program to give disadvantaged children a continuous path through school and improve their prospects after graduation.

Its long-term effect on poverty, however, will depend on educational quality and student retention. Moreover, it relies on whether graduates can continue to higher education or secure sustainable employment.

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