Narrower Zoning Rules Spur Optimism at SMAN 1 Marga for Ending Student Shortage

SMA Negeri 1 Marga in Tabanan has faced a student shortage over the past two years, receiving no more than 50 pupils per cohort before the new academic year. For the 2026/2027 intake, however, the school is optimistic about a significant surge in new registrations. Headmaster I Wayan Dedi Armana confirmed on Thursday (11/6/2026) that two factors are driving this opportunity: a narrowed school zoning system and the Academic Ability Test (TKA) standards. According to Dedi Armana, the newly restricted zoning rule is a system introduced by the Bali Province Education, Youth and Sports Office (Disdikpora). The system was adopted after observing that schools in remote areas of Bali, including SMAN 1 Marga, received very few students each year. Under the tightened zoning, junior high school graduates in Marga who wish to continue their studies at a senior high school in Tabanan city are no longer permitted to do so, compelling them to attend a school within their own subdistrict. This change has convinced the school that a spike in applicants to SMAN 1 Marga is likely, thus ending the student shortage. Marga subdistrict is supported by four junior high schools whose graduates can feed into SMAN 1 Marga. Concerning the TKA, Dedi Armana noted that the minimum standard score varies by school, with urban Tabanan schools setting a higher bar than those in Marga. This discrepancy can divert local junior high graduates away from city schools due to their limited TKA scores. Although official new student registration begins on 22 June, Dedi Armana disclosed that 44 students have already signed up, a figure exceeding the 43 pupils enrolled in the 2025/2026 cohort. The school has been conducting outreach since January. ‘These 44 students already constitute two study groups. Hopefully we can get more than that this year because of the changed system,’ he stressed. SMAN 1 Marga has prepared 12 study groups for new students and hopes at least half can be filled for the 2026/2027 academic year. ‘We have readied 12 study groups, but if we reach just six groups this year, that would already be extraordinary,’ he concluded.