Fix SPMB with Accurate Data to Address the Crisis of Empty State Primary Schools

The phenomenon of empty state primary schools (SDN) in various regions for the 2026/2027 academic year has become a serious alarm to immediately improve the national new student admission system (SPMB). Deputy Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR RI) Lestari Moerdijat urged the government to immediately carry out fundamental improvements to the SPMB by prioritising the analysis of current data regarding the suitability of capacity and potential student interest in each region. Data from the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education shows a significant contraction in the number of primary school students, from 27.58 million pupils in 2011/2012 to approximately 23.9 million in 2024. Ironically, the number of primary schools actually increased from 61,566 in 2003 to 72,470 in 2024, creating a large imbalance between capacity and student numbers. “This asymmetrical planning must be addressed immediately. The physical construction of schools must not be out of step with demographic realities and public interest,” stressed Rerie, Lestari’s nickname, in a written statement on Tuesday (21/7). According to Rerie, who is also a member of Commission X of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), a new student admission system is needed that is intelligent, data-based, and adaptive to change. “The structuring of the state primary school network can no longer be done partially,” said Rerie. Field data reinforces this urgency. In Ngawi, East Java, for example, out of 470 SDNs, the average intake is only 13-14 new students, and one school had zero registrants. In Malang City, East Java, 62 out of 195 SDNs failed to meet their quota, with 2,285 empty seats (27.46% of the total capacity). In Solo, Central Java, there are a total of 1,144 empty seats at the primary school level. Furthermore, Rerie highlighted the shift in public preference as an important factor in preparing educational services. Over a decade, the number of state primary school students fell from 22.4 million (2016) to 20.3 million (2022), while private primary school students grew from 3.1 million to 3.7 million in the same period. “This is a clear indication that parents are seeking more responsive educational services. State schools must improve their quality,” she asserted. Rerie pushed for several strategic measures to address this condition, including the immediate creation of an education roadmap based on accurate population data to determine the location and needs of schools. She also stressed the need to strengthen coordination between central and regional governments so that policies are implemented effectively. “The data has spoken. Now is the time for real action. Fix the SPMB system starting from the root of the problem, so that every Indonesian child gets fair and quality access to education,” she concluded.