JAKARTA, Jan. 12 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto attended the unveiling ceremony of 166 "People's Schools" across South Kalimantan province on Tuesday, marking the official operation of free boarding schools for children from low-income families in 34 provinces of Indonesia.
"People's Schools" is a national education project launched by the Indonesian government, focusing on students from rural and disadvantaged families. Through free, boarding schooling, it aims to alleviate intergenerational poverty, high dropout rates, and the uneven distribution of quality educational resources. The Indonesian Presidential Palace stated that this project is one of the government's important measures to expand inclusive and equitable educational opportunities.
At the unveiling ceremony, Prabowo addressed the students, encouraging them not to feel inferior because of their family background. He stated that the "People's School" is an important manifestation of the government's care for children from disadvantaged families.
In addition to inaugurating 166 schools already in operation, Prabowo also laid the foundation stone for 104 new "People's Schools" on the same day. Official data shows that the 166 schools across Indonesia currently enroll approximately 16,000 students.
Prabowo stated that the Indonesian government plans to expand the number of students enrolled in "People's Schools" to 30,000 by the end of 2026, and aims to increase the total number of schools to 500 by 2029. (End)
