Garuda School Buildings Targeted to Be Operational by June 2026

The Director of Science and Technology at the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, Ahmad Najib Burhani, has confirmed that four Garuda Schools currently under construction will be ready for use by June 2026. The government has now opened the new student admissions process (PPDB) to recruit the first cohort before the schools begin operations.

According to Najib, the physical construction of the schools is targeted for completion so they can be put into immediate use at the start of the new academic year in mid-2026. Each of the four schools will accommodate 160 students, bringing the total first cohort to 640 students.

All admitted students, he said, will receive full scholarships in accordance with regulations established by the ministry. The government is also in the process of selecting teaching staff to be placed at the schools. He noted that the recruited teachers are top-calibre educators prepared to support the learning system and boarding school educational environment.

The Garuda Schools, Najib explained, are designed as part of an elite education ecosystem integrated with the Garuda Scholarship for undergraduate studies. This scheme enables Garuda School graduates to continue their bachelor’s degree studies at overseas universities with government-funded financial support.

Unlike the general scholarships that have been available thus far, Najib said the Garuda Scholarship has been prepared as a continuation pathway for students from elite schools, including the Garuda Schools.

Najib expressed hope that information about the Garuda School admissions process would reach remote areas. He voiced concern that gifted students might miss out on the opportunity due to lack of access to registration information.

“We hope that no one misses out. We must ensure that no bright child fails to receive the information and is consequently left out of this registration,” he said.

With the operational target set for June 2026, the student and teacher selection processes are now running in parallel with the completion of the schools’ physical construction.