Pacitan Education Agency Maps Decline in New Student Enrolment at State Primary Schools

The Education Agency in Pacitan Regency, East Java, is conducting an intensive mapping of the phenomenon of declining new student numbers at state primary schools. The Head of the Pacitan Education Agency’s Primary School Division, Wahyono, revealed that the shrinkage in new student intake has now spread to urban areas. For the 2026/2027 academic year, two schools in Pacitan District recorded only one new student each. ‘Student intake is indeed decreasing. However, we still hope that in the coming years the number of school-age children will remain available so that schools can still accept new students,’ Wahyono said on Wednesday. He specifically identified the two schools as SD Negeri 1 Sedeng and SD Negeri 1 Sambong, both located in Pacitan District. Despite the extremely low enrolment, the Education Agency has guaranteed that the students’ right to education services will not be diminished. ‘They will still receive the same educational services as other schools,’ he stressed. Based on initial analysis, the decline is not due to a drop in school quality or facilities but is primarily caused by a reduced population of school-age children in those areas. This trend is not isolated, as several other state primary schools in Pacitan have also reported receiving fewer than 10 new students for the current academic year. Regarding school operations, Wahyono confirmed that the School Environment Introduction Period and regular teaching and learning activities are proceeding as normal. ‘Until the third day, the MPLS has run smoothly. There have been no obstacles from students, parents, or teachers,’ he added. The MPLS programme in Pacitan is scheduled to run for a minimum of three days and can be extended up to five days according to each school’s needs.