BLITAR – The recruitment process for the new Sekolah Rakyat boarding school in Blitar has emerged as a major challenge as local authorities struggle to convince low-income families to enroll their children.
The government-backed education project in Kauman district forms part of Indonesia’s national strategic program aimed at reducing poverty through free education and social assistance.
Blitar Mayor Syauqul Muhibbin, widely known as Mas Ibin, said physical construction of the school has reached around 50 percent completion. However, officials now face non-technical challenges linked to public trust and community concerns.
According to him, many parents remain hesitant because the school will operate as a boarding institution, requiring students to stay on campus instead of returning home daily.
“The main difficulty lies in socialization efforts. Many families still feel uncertain because their children will live at the school and not return home every day,” Mas Ibin said on Monday.
He explained that field officers and social assistants continue to encounter resistance from families categorized in the lowest economic groups.
The Sekolah Rakyat program, proposed by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, aims to provide free education with high-quality facilities and professional tutors.
Mas Ibin described the project as a comprehensive poverty reduction initiative rather than a standard education program.
Besides free education, participating families may also receive government support through housing renovation assistance and small business development programs.
“It would be unfortunate if families miss this opportunity. The facilities are excellent and even better than what many middle-class residents have,” he said.
To ensure accurate targeting, the Blitar city administration has started a layered verification process for prospective students.
Officials initially collected data from around 6,000 residents classified in the lowest economic categories. The number has since narrowed to approximately 2,000 candidates.
The administration later submitted the data to Indonesia’s Ministry of Social Affairs for final verification. Authorities plan to accept fewer than 1,000 students for the first intake.
Mas Ibin said the verification stage remains important because poverty levels in Blitar have declined significantly in recent years.
According to Statistics Indonesia data, the poverty rate in Blitar stood at 6.60 percent in 2025, representing around 9,690 residents.
At the same time, the city’s regional development agency reported that extreme poverty in Blitar had dropped to zero percent.
“This verification process also creates challenges because poverty levels in the city have dropped sharply,” Mas Ibin explained.
To address public hesitation, the mayor instructed the Social Affairs Office to intensify outreach efforts at the neighborhood level.
The city government also plans to invite parents to visit the construction site directly. Officials hope the visits will build public confidence in the program.
“We want parents to see the facilities themselves. We must stay proactive because the operational target is close, around July or August 2026,” he said.
Authorities now hope stronger community outreach can increase enrollment before the boarding school officially opens next year.