SEKOLAH RAKYAT DAN PESANTREN: DUA MODEL PENDIDIKAN BERBASIS KERAKYATAN DI INDONESIA

Abstract

This article examines two people-based education models in Indonesia, namely Sekolah Rakyat (People's School) and Pesantren (Islamic Boarding School), in the context of equitable access to education and poverty alleviation. Sekolah Rakyat is the latest program under President Prabowo Subianto's administration, launched under Presidential Instruction Number 8 of 2025, designed as a free boarding school for children from poor and extremely poor families. Pesantren, on the other hand, is Indonesia's oldest Islamic educational institution, which has for centuries played a role as a center for community-based education rooted in populist values. Using a library research approach and comparative analysis, this article examines the similarities, differences, and potential synergies between the two models from historical, philosophical, curricular, governance, and social relevance dimensions. The findings indicate that both models share the same philosophical roots - commitment to the people and the effort to break the chain of poverty through education - yet differ in institutional approach, value foundation, and financing mechanisms. This article recommends the need for strategic synergy and collaboration between Sekolah Rakyat and Pesantren as complementary people's education movements toward the realization of equitable, character-based, and competitive education in Indonesia.