Surabaya, May 3 -- Indonesia's Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf said the tuition-free Sekolah Rakyat program targets out-of-school children from low-income families, aiming to expand access to quality education nationwide.

"We do not open registration; we proactively reach prioritized children-those never enrolled, who dropped out, or are at risk," Yusuf said in Surabaya, East Java, on Sunday.

He said the program adopts a boarding school model to provide accessible education for children from families classified as poor or extremely poor in government data.

Yusuf added the schools often enroll overage students whose education was delayed due to past barriers.

"Many students were formerly buskers, beggars, or scavengers. Some ha...