Banjarmasin, S Kalimatan (ANTARA) - South Kalimantan is ready to commence Sekolah Rakyat (People's School) academic activities in July with 225 students it had received.
"Sekolah Rakyat in South Kalimantan is ready to run, we have accepted 225 students, majority from underprivileged families, especially from deciles 1 and 2. That means they are categorized poor and deserve to be supported," said Acting Head of South Kalimantan Social Affairs Office Gusti Yanuar Noor Rifai here on Thursday.
Yanuar said Sekolah Rakyat is the Indonesian government's free-education initiative targeting people from underprivileged families.
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The program, he expounded, covers two levels of education, secondary school (SMP) and high school (SMA) with initial placement here in two different locations.
A total 125 students to be placed at Center for Social Welfare Training and Development (BBPPKS), and 100 others at Sentra Budi Luhur, Social Affairs Ministry's technical implementation units (UPTs), both in Banjarbaru.
Sekolah Rakyat program is the government's concrete effort to expand access to decent education for children from poor and extremely poor families.
He explained that the permanen building of is still under construction, in the meantime learning activities continue to be carried out using the available social affairs facilities.
"This is done so that the learning process is not delayed, while also preparing the foundation before expanding to the next stage," said Yanuar.
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