Press Conference by President of the Republic of Indonesia, Following an Inspection of Cilacap State Senior High School 1, Central Java, Wednesday, April 29, 2026
President of the Republic of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto:
Yes, I have inspected one of the renovated schools, including its classrooms. How many? Seven classrooms, plus eight sanitation facilities. I have also observed that the Free Nutritious Meal program (MBG) is running well here. The students told me that they like the MBG, they need it, and it helps them as it saves their money. I could see their enthusiasm.
Yes, we will keep improving (the facilities). Schools are very important. Education is key to our nation’s development. I will pay special attention to and invest in our education for our better future. Every Indonesian child must get the best education. We must also prepare our school graduates to be ready joining workforces. That is my view.
Reporters:
You said, the target for school renovation is 70,000 schools, correct?
President of the Republic of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto:
Yes, this year the target is already 70,000 schools. Last year’s budget covered 17,000 schools, while this year’s budget has been increased to cover 70,000 schools. Next year, my target is hopefully more than 100,000 schools.
Reporters:
Will all renovations be completed by 2028, Sir?
President of the Republic of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto:
I hope all school renovations will be completed by 2028. Indonesia has around 288,000 schools. If we can complete the renovations of 87,000 schools by the end of this year, there will still be around 200,000 remaining schools to be renovated. If we can renovate 100,000 schools in 2027 and another 100,000 in 2028, then all schools across Indonesia will have been improved.
But I do not want to stop there. We must also continue to improve the quality of the renovated schools. I want every classroom to have digital screens and Smart Class Boards. Currently, most schools only have one or two units. That means our target is still three or four additional units per school. This year we will strive to provide three additional units (per school) nationwide. Through those facilities, learning will become more interactive. Syllabi and educational materials will be integrated into software systems, allowing both students and teachers to revisit lessons anytime they need.
And later, we will establish a central studio in Jakarta featuring the best teachers. For example, for English language instruction, we will bring in native speakers who can teach students across the country. The same applies to Mandarin. We want Indonesian students to master English, Mandarin, and several other foreign languages starting from elementary school.
Reporters:
When are we supposed to achieve energy self-sufficiency?
President of the Republic of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto:
We aim to achieve energy self-sufficiency by the end of 2029 at the latest. We expect to achieve it earlier, and thus, we need to work harder. We are optimistic. God has blessed Indonesia with extraordinary natural resources. The question is whether we are capable of managing and protecting them properly. Wealthy countries are always attractive to many parties. (RD/TM)