Denpasar Parents Flock to Private Primary Schools Over State Options

The registration for new state primary school (SDN) students through the New Student Admission System (SPMB) for the 2026/2027 academic year in Denpasar City has closed. Interestingly, many parents holding Denpasar Family Cards (KK) are choosing to send their children to private schools.

Head of Primary School Development at the Denpasar City Education, Youth, and Sports Office (Disdikpora), I Nyoman Suriawan, confirmed this trend. He stated that the number of students registering for state and private primary schools this year is almost balanced. “Based on the data, almost half of the residents with Denpasar KK prefer private primary schools,” Suriawan said.

According to Disdikpora data, there are 8,193 kindergarten or early childhood education graduates holding Denpasar KK. Of that number, 5,032 registered for state primary schools in Denpasar, while the remaining 3,161 children opted for private schools.

Suriawan suspects parents prefer enrolling their children in private schools because the facilities are better than those in state schools. “Perhaps parents think that private schools offer better facility services. Meanwhile, in state schools, facilities are limited to fulfilling the Minimum Service Standards for Education (SPM),” he added.

Nevertheless, Suriawan noted that the number of SPMB applicants for Denpasar state primary schools choosing the domicile pathway was also quite high. Interestingly, the number of applicants for the affirmation pathway, specifically designated for underprivileged parents, was recorded at only 13 students by the selection deadline. In fact, the total quota for the affirmation pathway is 1,429 seats spread across 166 state primary schools throughout Denpasar City. Overall, 9,248 students were accepted into state primary schools in Denpasar City, out of a total of 9,341 applicants.

Additionally, 93 applicants were declared unsuccessful in the SPMB selection for state primary schools in Denpasar this year. These dozens of prospective students who did not pass were recorded as holding KK from outside Denpasar or outside Bali Province. “The 5,032 accepted students are Denpasar KK holders, the rest are from outside Denpasar City,” Suriawan stated. He added that new students not accepted at their first choice are immediately distributed to other schools through a system that directs them to schools with unfilled quotas.