Partnering with the TNI to Instill Disciplinary Content, Dozens of Community School Principals Attend a Retreat, Uniformly Wearing PDLT (Indonesian National Army Uniform)

The Shiro Corporation - As many as 53 Public School Heads participated in the retreat organized by the Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos). The retreat was held for five days, from June 16 to 20, 2025.

Located at the Social Welfare Education and Training Center, Margaguna, South Jakarta, all the heads of the People's School who had undergone a rigorous selection process previously were uniformed in a cohesive manner. They wore field duty uniforms (PDL) in green color. There, they were given materials on the preparation for the People's School program, Inclusive Child-Friendly and Human Rights Education, Motivation and Social Empathy, Management of Dormitory Schools (Best Practices), People's School Curriculum, National Defense & Child Care Guidance, to School Administration Management.

The speakers themselves come from various institutions. Such as the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen), the Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Child Protection (PPPA), the Ministry of Law, the Ministry of Human Rights, the Ministry of Religion, the KPAI, as well as elements of the TNI.

Social Minister (Mensos) Saifullah Yusuf revealed that this retreat aims to align understanding and work standards among school principals. This standardization is considered important so that the quality and direction of implementation of the People's School remains consistent, even though the participants come from various regions.

"The essence is that we want this to be a team, even though they are School Heads from various regions, fundamentally they are one team. This is also part of team building," said the man commonly known as Gus Ipul, when he was approached after delivering instructions during the People's School Head Retreat on Tuesday (17/6).

Gus Ipul added that the school principals participating in this retreat have undergone a rigorous selection process. The selection was conducted by the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Ministry of Social Affairs, based on initial recommendations from the local government. Each region submitted at least three names of candidates for school principals.

At the first stage, the selection process involves 159 participants. Eventually, 100 people remain. Therefore, the retreat will be held in two sessions. The next session will be held after the announcement of 47 school principals on June 30.

It's not just about academic abilities that are part of the selection process. There are also leadership capability tests as well as location of residence.

According to him, domicile is one of the main considerations. The selected school principals are those who live close to the location of the Public School. The hope is that the principal will better understand the conditions of the children in that area.

"Prospective school principals also undergo psychological tests. This examination aims to assess the personal and professional readiness of the candidates in facing the challenges of leadership," he explained.

Meanwhile, the selection results for 1,554 teachers at Sekolah Rakyat will be announced by the end of June. After that, the teachers will immediately receive their NIP (employee ID number) and participate in a retreat. These teachers will teach approximately 9,780 students spread across 100 Sekolah Rakyat locations.

"Currently, 4,112 prospective students have been designated at 39 points out of 100 points from the People's School. The remaining ones are still in the process of being designated by the regional heads," he explained. The announcement of the student selection will be made from June 13-20, 2025. Subsequently, the students who pass will be called to enter the dormitory on July 14, 2025.

Encountered at the same opportunity, the Head of Kupang People's School Felipina A. Kale expressed optimism about the government's program in an effort to cut this cycle of poverty. According to her, through an educational approach, children can eventually improve the quality of their own lives and their families in the future.

"I believe one hundred percent that Sekolah Rakyat is capable of changing them. At the very least, changing their mindset, that they are not a burden but an asset to the country," he explained.

He also agreed that the recruitment of school principals and village school teachers should involve residents from the local area. Because, it is ensured that they are already familiar with the characteristics of the residents there as well as their socio-economic conditions. "I was also once marginalized. I am a common person, therefore I fully understand what needs to be done to fight for the rights of these common people," he said.

In the future, at the Public School led by him, it will start with 3 study groups consisting of 100 students. They will become the first junior high school students of Kupang Public School.