Jakarta to Expand School Capacity Under Prabowo's Directive, Governor Pledges Support

The Jakarta Provincial Government (Pemprov DKI) is preparing to expand the capacity of "Sekolah Rakyat" (People's Schools) in the capital to accommodate 1,000 students, following a directive from President Prabowo Subianto. Governor Pramono Anung announced that the Pemprov DKI will secure locations that can be utilized as boarding schools to house approximately 1,000 students. "The Jakarta Provincial Government will provide full support for the Sekolah Rakyat in Jakarta," said Pramono after inspecting the teaching and learning activities at Sekolah Rakyat Menengah Atas 10 in South Jakarta, alongside Minister of Social Affairs Saifullah Yusuf, also known as Gus Ipul, on Friday (3/7/2026). According to Pramono, the expansion of Sekolah Rakyat capacity to 1,000 students aligns with President Prabowo's aspirations. He stated that the Pemprov DKI will conduct in-depth studies on the land and facility needs required to realize this plan. "So that we can fulfill the President's hope to increase the capacity up to 1,000 students, Mr. Minister, we will deeply study this and prepare a location that can potentially be used as a boarding school for Sekolah Rakyat for 1,000 students," Pramono explained. Pramono mentioned that this support emerged after he directly observed the achievements of the Sekolah Rakyat students. He assessed that the program provides opportunities for children from underprivileged families to receive a better education and opens pathways to a brighter future. "Coincidentally, I had a dialogue with some children just now, they are children who are indeed unfortunate, and that is exactly what I have done with KJP, KJMU, and diploma amnesty," he said. On the same occasion, Minister of Social Affairs (Mensos) Saifullah Yusuf welcomed the Pemprov DKI's commitment to increasing the capacity of Sekolah Rakyat in Jakarta. He stated that the additional quota is part of an effort to accelerate the implementation of the President's strategic programs in the capital. "I certainly welcome this because the Governor wants to welcome the President's hope that specifically for DKI Jakarta, there will be an additional pilot school that can accommodate no less than 1,000 students for Sekolah Rakyat in DKI Jakarta," said Gus Ipul. He explained that the additional capacity does not mean Jakarta is receiving special treatment. The central government indeed plans to increase the quota for Sekolah Rakyat in all regencies and cities, even targeting up to 2,000 students in each region. However, Gus Ipul noted that Jakarta needs acceleration because, to date, it only has one permanent Sekolah Rakyat building under construction on land owned by the Ministry of Social Affairs. "For this reason, the President wants acceleration so that Jakarta does not fall behind while others can proceed quickly because the permanent building facilities are not yet available," Gus Ipul stated.