Latest news with #SaifullahYusuf
The Star
25-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Hasty school launch under scrutiny
The government is moving at full speed to prepare for the launch of President Prabowo Subianto 's flagship education initiative, Sekolah Rakyat (community school), which aims to provide free boarding school education to underprivileged children from elementary to secondary levels. With the programme scheduled to open in July, just months after its announcement, the focus has been on renovating state-owned buildings as well as recruiting teachers and support staff to meet the tight timeline. However, as the Public Works Ministry scrambles to retrofit dozens of facilities and the Social Affairs Ministry accelerates staffing efforts, critics warn that the programme's foundation remains shaky, with key questions about planning, quality and inclusivity left unanswered. Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf says the new schools for the programme will provide facilities on a par with top-tier institutions without tests on academic performance or IQ, which often restrict access to quality education. 'The only requirement to enter a Sekolah Rakyat is that the children come from poor families and have a willingness to learn,' Saifullah said on Wednesday on the ministry's website. But many are skeptical that the government's timeline allows for the delivery of meaningful quality education or a thorough assessment of students' needs. The Public Works Ministry began 65 renovation projects in early May, followed by another 35 scheduled projects, which aim to convert buildings managed by the Social Affairs Ministry or the local government into school facilities. But the renovation drive sparked a public backlash last week after it displaced visually impaired students from a century-old special needs school to make way for the programme. The school is located in a rehabilitation centre run by the Social Affairs Ministry in Bandung, West Java, part of which is being converted into a community school. In response to the criticism, the government has pledged to return the students to the former school once renovations are complete. Meanwhile, an online recruitment has been launched to select principals from a pool of 160. The new programme would use a three-stage curriculum framework geared toward developing the unique talents of students. The first stage begins in June, when students arrive, and is designed to evaluate their physical fitness and health, as well as academic abilities. The second stage begins when the school year starts in July, with all students following the national curriculum. The third stage runs concurrently with a special curriculum for evening classes which focuses on character development, religious and civic values, digital literacy and essential life skills. — The Jakarta Post/ANN
The Star
24-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Indonesian government races against time to launch Sekolah Rakyat aimed at providing free education for underprivileged children
JAKARTA (Jakarta Post/ANN): The government is moving at full speed to prepare for the launch of President Prabowo Subianto 's flagship education initiative, Sekolah Rakyat (community school), which aims to provide free boarding school education to underprivileged children from elementary to secondary levels. With the program scheduled to open in July, just months after its announcement, the focus has been on renovating state-owned buildings as well as recruiting teachers and support staff to meet the tight timeline. However, as the Public Works Ministry scrambles to retrofit dozens of facilities and the Social Affairs Ministry accelerates staffing efforts, critics warn that the program's foundation remains shaky, with key questions about planning, quality and inclusivity left unanswered. Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf says the new schools for the program will provide facilities on a par with top-tier institutions without tests on academic performance or IQ, which often restrict access to quality education. 'The only requirement to enter a Sekolah Rakyat is that the children come from poor families and have a willingness to learn,' Saifullah said on Wednesday in a statement on the ministry's website. But many are skeptical that the government's timeline allows for the delivery of meaningful quality education or a thorough assessment of students' needs. The Public Works Ministry began 65 renovation projects in early May, followed by another 35 scheduled projects, which aim to convert buildings managed by the Social Affairs Ministry or the local government into Sekolah Rakyat facilities. But the renovation drive sparked a public backlash last week after it displaced visually impaired students from a century-old special needs school to make way for the programme. The school is located in a rehabilitation center run by the Social Affairs Ministry in Bandung, West Java, part of which is being converted into a community school. In response to the criticism, the government has pledged to return the students to their former school once renovations are complete, adding that part of the new facility will be dedicated to accommodating visually impaired students. Meanwhile, the ministry has launched an online recruitment interview to select principals from a pool of 160. Successful candidates will then join a training program provided by the ministry, followed by an internship at existing schools that share the values of the Sekolah Rakyat programme. The online recruitment, managed in collaboration with the Elementary and Secondary Education Ministry, will then proceed with the selection of dormitory supervisors, wardens and teachers. Schools minister Abdul Mu'ti said on Wednesday that teachers would be selected from those currently working at schools rather than new graduates, Antara reported. The final quota for Sekolah Rakyat staff would depend on the number of schools ready to open by July, he added. Mohammad Nuh, who chairs the Sekolah Rakyat Formation Team, told The Jakarta Post on Thursday that the new program would use a three-stage curriculum framework geared toward developing the unique talents of each student. The first stage begins in June, when students arrive at the boarding schools, and is designed to evaluate their physical fitness and health, as well as academic abilities. The second stage begins when the school year starts in July, with all students following the national curriculum. The third stage runs concurrently with a special curriculum for evening classes developed by the Social Affairs Ministry, which focuses on character development, religious and civic values, digital literacy and essential life skills. 'The main point is talent mapping, as we want to develop each student's unique talents,' Nuh said. Fikri Muslim, an education expert with the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), criticized Sekolah Rakyat as a hastily executed program with a political bent. 'The only real urgency seems to be fulfilling President Prabowo's campaign promise,' Fikri said on Thursday. He also questioned the use of repurposed buildings located far from the low-income communities they aimed to serve and chastised the recruitment scheme as poaching teachers from areas already struggling with shortages. Itje Chodidjah from the nonprofit Center for Education and Policy Studies (PSPK) warned the program risked doing more harm than good by isolating disadvantaged children in boarding schools disconnected from their families and communities. 'A big hindrance to their development is that they [will] feel mentally insecure outside their immediate family and community,' Itje said on Thursday. 'Sequestering dozens of [students] into a single compound could make them feel even more isolated.' She urged the government to address the psychosocial needs of disadvantaged children, not just focus on their intellectual and physical development. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
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
Malay Mail
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Indonesian governor's vasectomy-for-welfare proposal sparks intense debate
JAKARTA, May 8 — A proposal by a regional governor in Indonesia to make vasectomy a condition for men to receive welfare benefits has sparked widespread criticism in Indonesia, according to a report by the South China Morning Post (SCMP). West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi reportedly suggested sterilisation in exchange for access to social welfare, electricity connections, food aid, scholarships and public housing. In an April 28 speech, Dedi questioned why poor families often have many children, saying, 'Stop having children if you can't provide for them well,' the SCMP reported. 'I don't know why poor families generally have many children, while rich people have difficulty having children, even after paying two billion rupiah (RM517,900) for IVF,' he was quoted as saying. Religious leaders swiftly condemned the idea, with Cholil Nafis of the Indonesian Ulema Council reportedly saying Islam forbids permanent sterilisation and that poverty should be addressed through employment opportunities. Indonesia's Social Minister Saifullah Yusuf also rejected the proposal, calling it 'not relevant' and impractical, according to the report. Rights advocates and academics reportedly described the plan as coercive and discriminatory, with Singapore-based scholar Sulfikar Amir calling it a 'blatant form of body politics' and warning that it wrongly assumes poverty results from large families rather than structural economic inequality. Public reactions online were mixed, with some supporting the proposal and others labelling it 'fascist,' the SCMP noted. The debate comes amid new World Bank data showing that 60.3 per cent of Indonesians — or roughly 171 million people — live below the updated poverty threshold of US$6.85 (RM29.23) per person per day. This figure contrasts sharply with Indonesia's official poverty rate of 8.57 per cent, based on older national standards.
