Parents in South Jakarta complain about Desil rule in SPMB affirmative pathway
A number of parents in South Jakarta have complained about the use of welfare classification levels, or Desil, in the affirmative pathway of the New Student Admission Selection (SPMB), arguing that the data does not match their actual economic conditions.
‘I came here because of a registration problem. I have a Jakarta Smart Card (KJP) and a Program Indonesia Pintar (PIP) card, but I cannot register for the affirmative pathway or SPMB because my Desil number is in the 6-10 range, meaning I am considered financially capable,’ said a man from Mampang named Ispandi when met at the SPMB service post at SMAN 70, Jakarta, on Friday.
He explained that the requirement to register through that pathway is a Desil classification of 1-4, indicating underprivileged communities. According to Ispandi, his job as a trader and his wife’s status as unemployed should align with the Desil data for underprivileged families. However, the data shows that Ispandi is categorised as financially capable.
He claimed to have submitted a data change request and an objection online, as well as visiting the local sub-district office for nearly a year, but there has been no follow-up, survey, or amendment. ‘We have tried asking the sub-district office. We have filed an objection online, but there has been no survey from the sub-district. They said there would be an economic census, but it hasn’t arrived yet,’ Ispandi said.
Another parent, Dewi, shared a similar experience. She was unable to register her child through the affirmative pathway because her Desil classification was 6, despite her husband being deceased and her working as a domestic helper with an income of only Rp500,000 per month. ‘Maybe I will try the zoning pathway. The problem is we are in zoning three, and in my area, I do not have a school close to home,’ Dewi revealed.
She expressed regret that the government uses Desil data or the Integrated Social Welfare Data (DTKS) as an absolute requirement for school registration, considering the data is not yet valid or updated according to actual field conditions. Regarding the free school programme, Dewi admitted she is still considering it because she wants to continue fighting for certainty over the Desil data. ‘At the post, I was advised to join the free school programme, but I am worried there will be another Desil requirement, and then my child will fail again just because of Desil,’ Dewi said.
The DKI Jakarta Education Agency has opened SPMB service posts in every administrative city of Jakarta to assist the public with the new student admission process through the domicile, affirmation, achievement, and mutation pathways, which runs until 8 July 2026. The SPMB Information and Consultation Service Post functions as an integrated service centre providing comprehensive assistance to prospective students and parents. Services include consultation on registration procedures, information on the requirements for each admission pathway, and handling various technical obstacles that arise in the registration system. To provide fast and integrated solutions, the SPMB Post also synergises with the Sub-department of Population and Civil Registration (Dukcapil) through a one-stop service.