19 Students in Karangasem Yet to Secure School Places, DPRD Urges Education Agency to Find Solution

Commission IV of the Karangasem Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) has highlighted the implementation of the New Student Admission Selection (SPMB) for the 2026/2027 Academic Year after a number of prospective students were found to have not been accepted into the Junior High School (SMP) level. To seek clarification, Commission IV visited the Karangasem Education, Youth, and Sports Agency (Disdikpora) on Wednesday (1/7/2026).

Commission IV Chair I Wayan Sudira stated that most of the issues were triggered by prospective students’ errors in choosing the registration pathway. As a result, they did not pass the selection at their target schools. He therefore requested that Disdikpora ensure students who failed to be accepted can promptly obtain alternative school placements.

‘The 12-year compulsory education programme must continue. No student should lose the opportunity to attend school simply because they chose the wrong pathway during registration,’ Sudira said on Wednesday (1/7/2026). He assessed that the re-registration period, which runs until 6 July, provides an opportunity for Disdikpora to resolve the matter. All prospective students who have not yet been accommodated are to be immediately registered and directed to schools that still have quotas.

‘There are students who chose two schools but were not accepted, possibly because the chosen pathway was not appropriate. However, Disdikpora has already communicated with these students so they can get a school according to their zone later,’ Sudira added. He also noted that the online SPMB, implemented for the first time in Karangasem Regency, needs evaluation, as some students or parents may not yet fully understand the system. He acknowledged the online SPMB has brought some changes, but several obstacles were still encountered during its implementation that must be addressed.

‘After the student admission process is complete and the new academic year has begun, we also plan to conduct direct evaluations at several schools regarding various matters,’ Sudira said. Meanwhile, Head of the Karangasem Education, Youth, and Sports Agency (Disdikpora) I Gusti Bagus Budiadnyana confirmed receiving reports from several parents regarding their children failing to be accepted at two schools simultaneously. Investigations revealed the majority of cases occurred because prospective students registered through the affirmation pathway but did not meet the requirements based on the National Single Social and Economic Data (DTSEN) verification results. This condition caused them to be disqualified from the selection process at both chosen schools.

Budiadnyana stated that there are currently around 19 prospective students who have not yet secured a place at the SMP level. Disdikpora will conduct further data collection and place them in the nearest schools that still have capacity. ‘We will ensure all children in Karangasem can still attend school. We will not let any student fall through the cracks because they cannot get a school,’ Budiadnyana explained.