Jakarta (ANTARA) – The Indonesian Ministry of Social Affairs reaffirmed the government’s readiness to recruit more than 3,000 teachers and 5,000 support staff for the operations of the tuition-free Sekolah Rakyat (People’s School) program across 93 locations.Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf told reporters in Jakarta on Tuesday that the initiative has entered the mapping stage in line with the program’s expansion in various regions.“We will recruit additional teachers to strengthen the existing workforce. This year, we plan to recruit more than 3,000 teachers and 5,000 education support staff,” he said.He explained that the large-scale recruitment is intended to keep pace with the significant increase in student enrollment at Sekolah Rakyat this year.Based on this year’s target data, the ministry has allocated enrollment slots for more than 32,000 children from underprivileged families, double the number recorded last year.The government has also prepared long-term projections for next year, targeting a broader expansion of enrollment capacity with wider outreach at the grassroots level.“Next year, God willing, we expect to enroll more than 60,000 students,” he said.The minister estimated that the total number of active students enrolled in Sekolah Rakyat nationwide will surpass 100,000 next year.Sekolah Rakyat is one of President Prabowo Subianto’s priority programs aimed at providing free access to education for children from underprivileged families.As part of an integrated poverty alleviation strategy, the program is linked to several other government initiatives, including the Free Nutritious Meals program (MBG), Free Health Screening program (CKG), health insurance assistance, Red and White Village Cooperatives, and the 3 Million Houses program.The government is currently building 101 permanent Sekolah Rakyat facilities this year as part of its broader target of constructing 500 permanent schools by 2029.