inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf aims for the Sekolah Rakyat (SR) Program to boost the living standard of 500,000 families across Indonesia each year.

This target will be achieved through an integrated approach that not only sends children to school but also empowers their parents economically.

"If the school capacity reaches 500,000 students, then 500,000 families can be lifted out of poverty every year," said the Minister of Social Affairs on Wednesday (10/15/2025).

The program, initiated by President Prabowo Subianto, is designed as part of a measurable poverty alleviation process, focusing on school-age children who are not in school, have dropped out, or are at risk of dropping out. The key to the program's success lies in a dual intervention: children regain their right to education, while parents of productive age are included in the economic empowerment program.

"They must become independent families within the next five years at the latest. So this is an integrated process: children go to school, and parents are empowered," the Minister of Social Affairs emphasized.

Empowerment for parents is based on three main pillars: increasing skills capacity, strengthening business assets, and expanding market access. Assistance schemes are tailored to the potential and needs of each family, for example, assistance with goats or laying hens for those interested in raising livestock, or developing craft businesses in other areas.

To date, the Ministry of Social Affairs has operated 165 Public Schools, which have been gradually opened since July 2024. Through registered student data, the government has data by name and address on target families, allowing for more precise and measurable empowerment interventions.

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