PORTALJABAR, BEKASI REGENCY - The Bekasi Regency Government has confirmed that the People's School program, a priority program of President Prabowo Subianto, will begin operating in the new academic year of July 2026, targeting children from extremely poor families, including those who have dropped out of school and live on the streets.

This was conveyed by the Acting Regent of Bekasi after accompanying the working visit of the Chief of Presidential Staff (KSP) Dudung Abdurachman to the People's School construction site at the Bekasi Regency Government Complex, Central Cikarang, Monday (18/5/2026).

According to him, the Bekasi Regency Government has prepared land with an area of approximately 5.4 hectares to support the construction of the People's School which is being carried out by the central government through the Ministry of Public Works.

"The local government has prepared over 5 hectares of land. The Public Works Department will handle the construction, while the local government will provide the land and infrastructure support," he said.

He explained that the People's School is not only intended for new students, but also provides opportunities for school dropouts to return to formal education.

"There are 13-year-olds entering elementary school after dropping out. We will bring such children back to school," he said.

He emphasized that the main targets of the program come from families in the decile 1 and decile 2 categories or poor and extremely poor community groups based on central government data.

"We're verifying deciles 1 and 2. So, it's not just the well-off. We're prioritizing children from low-income families, including those who have dropped out of school," he explained.

For the initial stage, Bekasi Regency received a quota of 270 students divided into nine study groups (rombel), three rombel each for elementary, middle, and high school levels.

"The total quota is 270 students. 90 for elementary school, 90 for middle school, and 90 for high school," he added.

As of now, the number of applicants is still being verified. Preliminary data shows that 10 prospective elementary school students, 31 junior high school students, and 80 high school students have registered.

According to the Acting Regent of Bekasi, Bekasi Regency is one of the fortunate regions to receive this national priority program.

"Thank God, Bekasi Regency has received a People's School and also a Waste-to-Electricity (PSEL) project. This demonstrates the central government's commitment to Bekasi Regency," he said.

Meanwhile, the Head of the Bekasi Regency Social Service, Alamsyah, said that the Bekasi Regency Government had begun various preparations since April 2025, starting from land provision to the licensing process.

"We've prepared everything from spatial planning, environmental impact analysis (Amdalalin), drainage, and more. The next task is to prepare prospective students," he said.

He explained that the process of registering prospective students was carried out based on data from the Ministry of Social Affairs which was then verified with the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) and the Family Hope Program (PKH) facilitators.

"The basic data comes from the Ministry of Social Affairs through the data center, then verified with the Social Services Agency, BPS, and PKH facilitators," he explained.

Based on temporary data, the number of Bekasi Regency residents in decile 1 category reached 38,180 families, while decile 2 had 47,058 families who were potential targets for the program.

Alamsyah added that all educational costs at the People's School are covered by the government.

"It's free from entry until graduation. Even supporting facilities are provided," he said.

He acknowledged that some parents are still reluctant to let their children participate in the program. However, the government will continue to conduct outreach to ensure the public understands the benefits of the People's Schools as a way to build character and improve educational access for low-income families. (Bekasi Regency Communications and Information Office/rka)