Latest news with #DTSEN
The Star
14-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Prabowo's community schools for low-income children start selecting students
Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf (centre) talking with South Sulawesi Governor Andi Sudirman Sualiman (left) and Makassar Mayor Munafri Arifuddin (right) when inspecting a potential location for community schools in Makassar, South Sulawesi on May 8, 2025. - Antara JAKARTA: The government continues to work to prepare for the establishment of Sekolah Rakyat (community schools), President Prabowo Subianto's flagship programme aimed at low-income families, as authorities start to select potential students ahead of their nationwide opening slated for this year. After months of finalising the project, the administrative selection stage for prospective students has started, according to Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf. At least 8,000 student hopefuls have so far registered to enrol in regions where the schools have been slated to open. Sekolah Rakyat will utilise either buildings owned by the Social Affairs Ministry or halls run by local administrations. 'We have started [the process] by visiting one of the prospective students in Bandar Lampung today,' Saifullah said during his visit to the Lampung provincial capital on Monday. On his trip across provinces to inspect the schools' locations over the week, local authorities also helped the minister assess the students' houses to collect data on their families' social and economic conditions. Prospective students will have to come from households that are included in the 'poverty' and 'extreme poverty' categories in the government's Single National Social and Economic Data (DTSEN) system to be considered for the school. After it finishes collecting the students' data, the Social Affairs Ministry will perform a health examination on the students before finalising their enrollment. Saifullah stressed there would be no academic test for the students. Officially announced by President Prabowo in March, Sekolah Rakyat will be free of any cost. The boarding-school programme will cover elementary, junior and senior high school levels. In a limited interview with media leaders, Prabowo said the boarding school system would teach discipline and provide good meals to the impoverished children, while giving them a proper education to break their families' chains of poverty. The President aimed to open a total of 200 Sekolah Rakyat across the nation, with at least 53 planned for the first phase, and are scheduled to open in the upcoming academic year starting in July. Around 1,000 students are expected to enrol at each school. The schools that are ready for the July opening have since grown to 65, according to Saifullah, after confirming that more buildings are available for use. Education observers have generally applauded the project, with many highlighting its importance while also stressing the need for the government to guide the students after they graduate. The Social Affairs Ministry is considering providing scholarships for Sekolah Rakyat graduates who want to continue their studies in the higher education level. 'We want to direct these future Sekolah Rakyat graduates to continue paving their future according to their passions,' Minister Saifullah said on Monday. He added that the ministry would provide graduates with planning to enter a specific job market or upskilling course, although he did not elaborate further on the plan. 'Essentially, we want to provide these students opportunities to either continue their education at university level or to work immediately.' Despite the warm response, some experts have been critical of the project, with Anggi Afriansyah of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) previously urging extra attention and 'cultural sensitivity' in providing education for students coming from impoverished environments. Elementary and Secondary Education Minister Abdul Mu'ti, whose ministry is assisting the Social Affairs Ministry in the project, previously said the schools' curriculum would allow its students to reach their academic goals at their own pace. The schools ministry is also in charge of recruiting teachers for Sekolah Rakyat, with the recruitment drive having opened in April. Mu'ti said the teachers recruited for the programme would have Teacher's Professional Education (PPG) certification and would teach more than one subject. Minister Saifullah added that English and mathematics would be introduced in the early phase of the learning process. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
Daily Express
11-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Express
Poverty rate reduction 4.5pc by 2029
Published on: Sunday, May 11, 2025 Published on: Sun, May 11, 2025 By: Jakarta Globe Text Size: Currently, 24.8m people, or 8.7pc of Indonesia's population live in poverty. Maluku and Papua have the highest poverty rate while Kalimantan has the lowest and Java has the largest number of poor people. JAKARTA: President Prabowo Subianto aims to eliminate extreme poverty by 2026 and reduce Indonesia's overall poverty rate from 8.7 percent to 4.5 percent by the end of his tenure in 2029, according to Chief Community Empowerment Minister Muhaimin Iskandar. 'Currently, 24.8 million people, or 8.7 percent of our population, live in poverty. By 2029, this figure should not exceed 4.5 percent, and ideally, we can reduce it even further,' Muhaimin said after chairing a ministerial meeting on poverty reduction Friday. The meeting focused on concrete measures to address poverty, with Muhaimin stressing the need for synergy between ministries and agencies, particularly with Chief Human Development Minister Pratikno and 17 other institutions. 'These ministries and agencies will play a key role in executing the President's directives. We will move forward together with a coordinated strategy to tackle poverty and extreme poverty,' he added. A key instrument in this effort is the National Social and Economic Single Database (DTSEN), which Muhaimin said would be continuously validated to ensure accuracy and help direct aid to the right recipients. He cited the Housing Ministry's BSPS housing incentives and housing subsidy programs as examples of initiatives that rely on accurate data to ensure aid reaches those who need it most. Housing Minister Maruarar Sirait welcomed the initiative, saying that reliable data is crucial for effectively implementing government programs. 'We can now proceed with BSPS and housing subsidies as directed by President Prabowo, ensuring precise targeting,' Maruarar said. He said the database would prevent misallocation of aid, ensuring only those in need receive assistance. 'This data is crucial to prevent situations where the wealthy benefit while the poor are left out,' he added. According to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), Indonesia's poverty rate fell to 8.57 percent in September 2024, the lowest level since poverty data was first recorded in 1960. This marks a 0.46 percentage point decline from March 2024 and a 0.79 percentage point drop from the previous year. The decrease was driven by strong economic growth, with the country's GDP expanding by 5.35 percent in the third quarter of 2024. As of September 2024, the poverty line was set at Rp 595,242 ($36.5) per capita per month, with rice, cigarettes, housing, and fuel contributing the most to household expenses. Maluku and Papua had the highest poverty rate at 18.62 percent, while Kalimantan had the lowest at 5.3 percent. However, Java had the largest number of poor people, with 12.62 million living in poverty, while Kalimantan had the fewest at 0.91 million. * Follow us on Instagram and join our Telegram and/or WhatsApp channel(s) for the latest news you don't want to miss. * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
