Governor Dedi Mulyadi Apologises as Government Fails to Accommodate All Students in State Schools

Complaints and anger from a number of parents regarding the implementation of the 2026 Prospective New Student Mapping (PCMB) continue to surface. One incident, captured in a viral video, shows a parent venting frustration at the West Java Education Office after their child was at risk of not being accepted into a state school. West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi has apologised for the situation, stating that the government’s inability to provide sufficient state schools for all students is the responsibility of the state administrators, not the fault of the public. “I apologise to the community. If today many parents are still disappointed because their children did not get a place in a state school, that is our responsibility as state administrators,” Dedi said on Thursday. He explained that the parent’s anger stemmed from a desire for their child to receive an education in a state school. However, during the mapping process, the student’s position was outcompeted by other applicants, making the chance of acceptance increasingly slim. “I understand this as a parent’s struggle to get their child into a state school,” he said. He noted that the student initially had a chance of being accepted, but after additional applicants registered, including students who failed to get into Sekolah Maung and then applied to the same school, the student’s ranking dropped in the mapping system. Nevertheless, he asserted that the government must be prepared to accept various forms of criticism, disappointment, and even anger from the public as long as public services have not yet been able to meet the needs of all citizens. “If a parent is angry, we must accept it. The important thing is that the government continues to strive to provide the best service,” he said. Dedi stressed that the anger of many parents whose children were not mapped to state schools is not the fault of the community. “Today, if many parents are angry because their children were not mapped to state schools, it is not the parents’ fault, but our fault as state administrators,” he emphasised. According to him, this situation occurs because the government has not yet been able to provide an adequate number of state schools and state teachers to accommodate all graduates wishing to continue their education. “The available state schools are still limited, while the number of graduates wanting to continue their education continues to grow. This is homework for the government,” he said. Despite this, he assured that all children still have the opportunity to attend school through private institutions. The West Java Provincial Government, he said, also guarantees education funding for students from underprivileged families who continue their education in private schools. “For those who do not have the opportunity to enter state schools, there are still private schools. For underprivileged families, the education costs will be borne by the West Java Provincial Government,” he stated. He also agreed that school admission selection should reconsider exam scores. However, the authority to regulate the student admission system lies with the central government through the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education. “I agree, but the provisions regarding graduation and admission to state schools are all regulated by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education,” he said.