BALINEWSID.COM, MEDAN — The construction of the Medan People’s School (Sekolah Rakyat) in North Sumatra has been completed, reaching 100 percent physical progress, the Ministry of Public Works (PU) said.

Built on a six-hectare site, the integrated educational facility has an initial capacity of 1,080 students and includes classrooms, dormitories, and other supporting facilities. The project was funded with a budget of Rp1.25 trillion.

The Ministry of Public Works said the completion of the facility is part of the government’s efforts to provide adequate and quality educational infrastructure while ensuring that the facilities can be maintained and used sustainably.

Dendy Kurniadi, Acting Director of Educational Support Infrastructure at the Directorate General of Strategic Infrastructure of the Ministry of Public Works, said a six-month maintenance period had been included in the project.

“We have included a six-month maintenance period and prepared standard operating procedures (SOPs) for maintaining the facilities, which will be handed over to the asset recipient,” Dendy said.

He said the SOPs are intended to ensure that maintenance and repairs are carried out in accordance with applicable technical standards once the facility enters the utilization stage.

The completion of the Medan People’s School was also welcomed by Commission V of the House of Representatives (DPR RI), which conducted a specific working visit to the facility on Thursday (Sept. 17). The delegation inspected several facilities, including classrooms and dormitories.

Roberth Rouw, Deputy Chairman of Commission V and head of the delegation, said the construction had been completed on time and to a good standard.

“We have directly inspected the buildings, dormitories and classrooms, which have been constructed well and on time within a relatively short period,” Roberth said.

He also stressed the importance of maintaining the facilities after the handover process to ensure that the infrastructure remains in good condition and continues to benefit students.

“We remind the government that it is important to consistently maintain and take care of the buildings after the handover so that they can be properly maintained,” he said.

The Medan People’s School is the first People’s School project in Indonesia to achieve 100 percent physical completion.

With construction now completed, the Ministry of Public Works said the facility could be further developed based on future needs and the evolution of the program.

Dendy said the school’s capacity could potentially be increased from the current 1,080 students to 1,260 students or more through optimization and possible expansion of the existing site.

“In the future, the capacity of the Medan People’s School could be increased from 1,080 students to 1,260 students or even more,” Dendy said.

He also called for support from Commission V of the DPR RI, the Medan City Government, the Medan Social Affairs Agency, and the Ministry of Social Affairs to support the implementation and future development of the program.

With the physical construction completed, the next focus will be on the utilization, maintenance and potential expansion of the Medan People’s School.