Government investigates causes behind 60,000 prospective students withdrawing from SNBP
The Coordinating Ministry for Human Development and Cultural Affairs (Kemenko PMK) is conducting an in-depth investigation into the exact causes behind the issue of 60,000 prospective students withdrawing from the National Selection Based on Achievement (SNBP), a topic widely discussed by the public.
Deputy for Coordination of Education Quality Improvement at Kemenko PMK, Ojat Darojat, speaking on the sidelines of a Universitas Terbuka (UT) graduation seminar in South Tangerang, Banten, on Monday, stressed that the government is responding cautiously to the issue of mass withdrawals by prioritising the collection of accurate field data.
To ensure targeted intervention measures, Kemenko PMK will soon hold a cross-sectoral coordination meeting involving the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Kemdiktisaintek) and the Council of Rectors of Indonesian State Universities (MRPTNI).
“The most important government programme right now is ensuring that bright, talented children are not hindered and denied the opportunity to attend university due to economic problems,” Ojat said.
Ojat also suggested that prospective students consider alternatives such as state universities with legal entity status (PTNBH), which are known for being inclusive and charging very affordable fees, citing Universitas Terbuka (UT) as an example.
Responding to the phenomenon of tuition fee and economic constraints, UT Rector Prof. Ali Muktiyanto assessed that the macro education problem is far larger than just the SNBP polemic. He noted that each year, between 1.2 million and 1.3 million new senior high school graduates fail to secure a place in higher education, whether due to intense academic selection competition, choosing the wrong major, or financial barriers.
He added that UT’s system is designed to be highly flexible, meaning there is no concept of students withdrawing due to an inability to pay.
“At UT, there are no withdrawals, only deferrals. If a student cannot continue next semester, they can postpone to the following year, or even postpone for the next 10 years, because it is flexible. So there is no problem,” said Prof. Ali Muktiyanto.