RRI.CO.ID, Blora - The Indonesian Ministry of Elementary and Secondary Education has announced an ambitious national target to revitalize 71,446 educational units throughout 2026. 

This massive infrastructure push aims to repair aging school buildings and provide safer learning environments for students across the archipelago.

Mariman Darto, Staff Expert for Talent Management at The Ministry, explained that the target is divided into two major stages. The initial phase covers 11,446 schools already included in the Budget Implementation List (DIPA), while the second phase includes an additional 60,000 schools proposed following direct instructions from the President.

"A total of 11,446 schools have entered the initial stages of revitalization and are currently awaiting budgeting. Meanwhile, by 2025, revitalization is expected to reach 16,171 educational units," Mariman said while inspecting school conditions in Blora, Central Java, on Saturday, January 31, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

He added that physical work for the first phase is expected to begin between February and March 2026, with a completion target of June to ensure the facilities are ready for the new school term.

The urgency of the program was highlighted during Mariman's visit to SMP Negeri 1 Sambong, a school built in 1983 that has recently suffered significant structural failures. He noted collapsed ceilings and roofs that pose a direct threat to the safety of students and teachers.

"Several parts of the structure are starting to deteriorate and require immediate attention. The SMPN 1 Sambong building is an old one, built in 1983," Mariman remarked.

He emphasized that, as the only junior high school in the Sambong Subdistrict, its restoration is vital for local educational access.

The deterioration of school facilities has already disrupted daily education. Wiwik Sulistiyowati, the Principal of state-run junior high school SMPN 1 Sambong, shared that the school’s condition reached a breaking point late last year.

“The worst condition occurred on December 15, 2025, when the roof and ceiling suddenly collapsed and caused quite severe damage to several classrooms,” Wiwik explained.

Currently, students have been forced to relocate their studies to laboratories and other makeshift spaces to avoid the hazardous classrooms.

With the Minister of Finance's approval, the second phase of revitalizing the remaining 60,000 schools is also scheduled to begin in March 2026. This initiative remains a cornerstone of President Prabowo Subianto's priority programs to modernize national educational infrastructure. ***