All About SMA De Britto: Students Free to Have Long Hair and 'Horse Stable' Classrooms
As one of the favourite senior high schools in Yogyakarta, SMA Kolese De Britto has long been known as a school of responsible freedom. Here are various facts about the all-boys school located at Jalan Laksda Adisucipto No 161, Caturtunggal, Depok, Sleman Regency. The school is famous for its freedoms. Here, you can find students with long hair wearing sandals. Its classrooms also have no doors or windows, leading them to be frequently called ‘horse stables’.
History of SMA De Britto
Vice Principal for Public Relations and Networking at SMA Kolese De Britto, Christophorus Danang W. Prasetio, explained that SMA De Britto is closely linked to a mission school that was originally Kanisius Senior High School, established on 19 August 1948. The first batch of students was a mixed group of 65 boys and girls. The initial location was a borrowed space on the upper floor of the SMP Bruderan Kidul Loji building. “That was in 1948 in Bintaran, when its original name was Kanisius,” he said during an interview on Monday (15/6/2026). “But then the military aggression occurred in 1949, so they were separated. De Britto was for the boys, and Stella Duce (Stece) for the girls. De Britto was under the Jesuit Fathers and Stece under the CB (Carolus Borromeus) Sisters,” he added. In 1953, SMA De Britto acquired a new site and began construction in Demangan Baru, precisely at Jalan Laksda Adisucipto No. 161. The school finally commenced teaching and learning activities in 1958. “So, in 2028 we will mark a full 80 years, or what could be called a dasawindu, if we are talking about De Britto’s history,” he stated.
Vision and Mission of SMA De Britto
Danang elaborated on the vision and mission of SMA De Britto that distinguishes it from other senior high schools in Yogyakarta. According to him, the Jesuits are a congregation of priests who possess a particular excellence in the field of education. “When we talk about Jesuits internationally, schools under the Jesuits certainly have excellence. So, one could say that our Jesuit education, or Kolese De Britto education, is a holistic education. It balances the cultivation of thought, feeling, and will,” he said. SMA De Britto has a student profile often referred to by the term 1L+5C. The L stands for leadership, or leader. And a leader must possess five Cs: competence, conscience, compassion, consistency, and commitment. “So, it is often called 1L+5C. A leader who has those 5Cs—competence relates to knowledge, conscience is the inner heart, compassion is empathy, commitment means having something to be accountable for, and consistency is speaking truthfully about what one thinks,” he explained.
Responsible Freedom
Danang also revealed that SMA De Britto is often called a school of responsible freedom. He explained that this relates to the 1960s era, which was a period of transition from the Old Order to the New Order. “And during the New Order, let’s say, there was an overemphasis on strict rules, or one could say it was rigid. So, leaders had to be respected and followed,” he said. “Thus, some rules made by the government were restrictive. De Britto created something different with the concept of a school of responsible freedom,” Danang continued. Danang stated that responsible freedom was the thinking of the Jesuit fathers at the time. They believed that when people, especially students, are constrained, creativity and the courage to express ideas and opinions will not emerge. “So, the concept of a free school was introduced, but a freedom that is responsible. This means responsible freedom is not about doing whatever one wants, nor is it freedom without rules,” he said. “There are still rules, and values are still prioritised, but the constant emphasis is on thinking before acting. So, before making a decision, before making a choice, think first about what you are going to do. That is what is meant by responsible freedom,” he added. One expression of this freedom is in appearance. “Wearing sandals is allowed, but sandals that have a back strap. Long hair is free, but it must be natural, no colouring. If it’s coloured, the consequence is a haircut,” Danang stated.
Consequences for Mistakes
Danang noted that education at SMA De Britto liberates people and is humanistic. “How can a student develop well without humanism? So, at De Britto, we talk about rules not as constraints, but as something to be viewed more deeply,” he said. Danang gave an example that every mistake made by a student does not immediately result in punishment. “So, the model for every mistake a child makes is not punishment, but consequence. What is the purpose of the consequence? So that the child can realise the mistake they have faced. Therefore, at De Britto, there is no such thing as a score system where being late gets a certain score, fighting gets a certain score—that does not exist,” he said. Technically, if a student makes a mistake, the teacher will invite them for a discussion. For instance, the teacher will ask the reason why the student was late to school. “So, it is more about finding out what was actually behind the decision you made. Thus, it teaches the child to think before acting,” he said. “So, there is a consequence. The consequence is not to bring someone down, not to punish, no. But to give the child a thought, a mindset, that whatever we do must always be thought about first. That is the vision and mission,” Danang added.
Producing Academics, Entrepreneurs, and Ministers
Danang said many graduates have become academics, entrepreneurs, and state and political party officials. For academics, Danang mentioned many De Britto alumni who are lecturers at Gadjah Mada University (UGM) and Atma Jaya University Yogyakarta (UAJY). “Then the Rector of ITS (Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology) Surabaya.”