National Integrated Schools to prioritize local admissions: Bakom
“Registration will be prioritized for prospective students from the districts and cities hosting SNTs,” Head of the Government Communication Agency (Bakom) Mohammad Qodari said in a statement received here on Tuesday.
He said the SNT program was designed to help address disparities in education quality, noting that only around 4 percent of sub-districts across Indonesia have junior and senior high schools that deliver strong educational outcomes.
“To tackle the issue, the Primary and Secondary Education Ministry is rolling out the SNT program, integrating junior and senior high schools into a single continuous learning ecosystem,” he explained.
According to the plan, the SNT program will commence in the 2026/2027 academic year across 17 regions in 13 provinces, including Bogor District, Cianjur District, Gowa District, Bone Bolango District, Tidore Islands City, Nusantara, Banyumas District, and Jepara District.
Similar schools are also prepared in Subulussalam City, Tarakan City, Donggala District, Bolaang Mongondow District, North Minahasa District, Kupang District, Central Buton District, Tebo District, and East Tanjung Jabung District.
“In the initial phase, schooling will be organized at sites already prepared by the central government and regional authorities, while the construction of permanent campuses proceeds,” Qodari remarked.
Elaborating further, he noted that schools under the program would place emphasis on science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics, and sports, aiming to provide students with a supportive environment to develop their character, interests, and talents.
The Bakom chief also highlighted plans to designate SNTs as regional hubs for strengthening teachers’ capacity, sharing best practices and partnering with neighboring schools.
He noted that the SNT program would complement similar initiatives already underway, namely the tuition-free Sekolah Rakyat (People’s School) program and the university-oriented Garuda Top School program.
“While these programs have different targets and approaches, they are bound by the same goal: ensuring that every Indonesian child has the opportunity to grow optimally,” he concluded.
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Translator: Prisca V, Tegar Nurfitra