Government Opens Option to Regroup Schools with Declining Student Numbers
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen) has opened the possibility of merging state primary schools (SD) that have experienced a continuous decline in student numbers.
Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Atip Latipulhayat said the decline in new student numbers has occurred in a number of regions, including Jakarta. According to him, the government will carry out a merger, or regrouping, of schools that continue to see falling enrolment.
“The number of primary school pupils has decreased for various reasons. Therefore, we have a policy for primary schools that keep experiencing declining student numbers: those schools will be regrouped. For example, from three into one,” Atip said when met during a visit to a school in West Jakarta on Monday, 13 July 2026.
He made the statement in response to the situation at SDN Grogol Utara 05 Pagi in South Jakarta, which accepted only 30 new students for the 2026/2027 academic year, below the capacity provided for two classes (rombel).
According to Atip, the decline in primary school enrolment is not limited to Jakarta but has also occurred in several other regions. The causes vary, so the government will assess the condition of each school individually.
Atip declined to reveal data or the causes behind the decline. He only said the phenomenon of falling student numbers differs from region to region: some areas have an excess of pupils, while others face a shortage.
He also argued that the factors influencing the decline in each region are highly diverse. “There are many causes, so they cannot specifically be mentioned,” he said.
Previously, the head of SDN Grogol Utara 05 Pagi, Agung Tri, said his school opened a quota of two classes with a maximum capacity of about 64 students, adjusted to match the classes that graduated from Year 6 in the previous academic year.
However, in the new student admission process, SDN Grogol Utara received only 30 students, enough to form just one class. “The maximum should be 32 per class, but because few enrolled, we only got 30 students,” Agung said when met at the school on Monday, 13 July 2026.
According to Agung, based on information he obtained from the Jakarta Education Office, the decline in new student numbers has not only affected SDN Grogol Utara 05 Pagi. A number of other state primary schools in Jakarta are experiencing similar conditions.
He said some schools had still not filled their intake capacity even at the later stage of new student admissions. “It has indeed decreased, meaning there is a decline. Many schools — tens of thousands — remain unfilled at stage two,” Agung said.
Tempo attempted to confirm data on the decline in new student enrolment at Jakarta’s state primary schools with the head of the DKI Jakarta Education Office, Nahdiana. However, as of the time of writing, Tempo’s request for confirmation had received no response.