Deemed More Fair, Surabaya 2026 Student Admission System Integrated with Civil Registry Data
To support easier access to information and services for the public, the Surabaya City Government is opening SPMB information posts in all public primary and junior high schools. The implementation of the 2026/2027 SPMB refers to the Indonesian Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Regulation Number 3 of 2025 regarding the Student Admission System, further strengthened by the Director General of Early Childhood, Primary, and Secondary Education Circular Letter Number 0301/C/HK.04.01/2026.
The Head of the Surabaya City Communication and Informatics Office, Eddy Christijanto, emphasised that all school-aged children in the ‘City of Heroes’ are guaranteed access to education. This is supported by collaboration between public and private schools to accommodate all primary school graduates, following the directives of Surabaya Mayor Eri Cahyadi. “Public and private schools are collaborating. God willing, based on the available quota from the Education Office, no school-aged child in Surabaya will be left without schooling for 2026,” said Eddy during a press conference.
The Head of the Surabaya Education Office, Febria Rachmanita, explained that the general mechanism for the 2026/2027 SPMB remains largely the same as previous years, with the exception of the achievement pathway, which now includes an Academic Competency Test (TKA). For junior high school, the achievement pathway quota is set at 35%, divided into academic achievement (20%), competitions (12%), and scripture memorisation (3%). The academic assessment will now combine report card grades (60% weight) with TKA results (40% weight).
The Education Office is also prioritising the verification of competition certificates and scripture memorisation before opening the academic pathway to ensure students who do not pass the competition route still have the opportunity to apply via the academic route. The office confirmed that the capacity of public and private schools is sufficient, with 42,000 available seats for approximately 41,000 primary school graduates.
To expand educational access, the Affirmation Pathway has been optimised with a quota of 15% for primary schools and 20% for junior high schools. This pathway is integrated with decile 1-5 data from the Social Services Office, including categories for inclusion and persons with disabilities. Meanwhile, the Domicile Pathway has a quota of 80% for primary schools and 40% for junior high schools, utilising a two-ring system to ensure fairness: Ring 1 for those living closest to the school, and Ring 2 for residents within the same sub-district or district but at a further distance.
To prevent overcrowding at the Education Office, information posts have been operational in every public primary and junior high school since 20 May. The Education Office has also ensured the readiness of the SPMB application system, using evaluations from previous years to minimise potential system disruptions. The implementation for 2026/2027 will be conducted in stages to allow parents with multiple children to manage the process more easily.