Nabire – The Central Papua Provincial Government is relying on its Sekolah Sepanjang Hari (SSH) program, or full-day boarding schools, as a key strategy to improve human capital, particularly for children in remote areas with limited access to education.
Central Papua Governor Meki Nawipa said the SSH model adopts a boarding school system, where students receive not only formal education but also essential services such as nutritious meals, hygiene facilities, and personal care supplies.
“We encourage SSH to be implemented across all districts in Central Papua because the program is designed to address education access challenges, especially in remote areas,” he said in Nabire on Tuesday (April 28).
He noted that the provincial government has allocated Rp20 billion to build an SSH facility in Puncak Regency as a pilot project, which has delivered highly satisfactory results.
In addition, district governments are being encouraged to establish one additional SSH school using special autonomy (otsus) funds from their regional budgets, ensuring that each district will have two schools under the same concept.
“The governor funds one, the regent funds one, so each district will have two SSH schools,” he said.
Meki Nawipa added that the SSH program also serves as an alternative approach to support the Free Nutritious Meals Program (MBG), particularly in mountainous areas where the initiative has faced resistance.
“In mountainous areas, many have rejected the MBG program, so we package it in the form of SSH so it can be accepted and directly benefit children,” he said.
He emphasized that strengthening the education sector is key to improving the Human Development Index (HDI) in Central Papua. Provincial data show that the region’s HDI increased from 60.25 in 2025 to 60.64, a rise of 0.39 points.
“No one in this world becomes great without education. Therefore, we must ensure that children in Central Papua have access to proper education, especially in villages,” Meki Nawipa said.
The provincial government hopes the SSH program will help expand equitable access to education while producing a healthier, more educated, and competitive future generation.
