The Ministry of Public Works (PU), through the Directorate General of Strategic Infrastructure, has set a budget allocation of IDR 26.3 trillion in the indicative ceiling for 2027. The jumbo fund will be specifically focused on financing the construction of 100 units of Sekolah Rakyat, a free boarding school initiative initiated by President Prabowo Subianto for poor and extremely poor families.
During a Hearing with Commission V of the House of Representatives (DPR RI), Acting Director General of Strategic Infrastructure, Kuswara, revealed that this figure is part of a total indicative ceiling of IDR 31.53 trillion approved by the government. Overall, the ministry actually requires funding of up to IDR 50.87 trillion to support various national strategic infrastructure projects that year.
In addition to the construction of Sekolah Rakyat, the budget also includes funding for various other sectors, such as the construction of 471 religious school units worth IDR 2.5 trillion, post-disaster handling in Sumatra with an allocation of IDR 1.15 trillion for 456 buildings, as well as management support and technical supervision.
The acceleration of this program comes as a direct response from President Prabowo to the high public enthusiasm for Sekolah Rakyat. He highlighted the disparity between the number of applicants and the existing capacity of schools, as observed during a visit to Bali. As a temporary solution, the government plans to optimize unused assets and facilities belonging to other ministries or agencies into learning spaces while awaiting the completion of permanent school buildings.
This tactical move was taken so that the teaching and learning process for children from underprivileged families can begin immediately without having to wait for all physical construction to be completed. The President emphasized the importance of cross-ministerial coordination to ensure the availability of land and supporting facilities to accommodate the growing educational needs across various regions.
