SMA Garuda uses IB curriculum to target world's universities: Prabowo
Fairness means that the state provides support according to people’s needs,Jakarta (ANTARA) - President Prabowo Subianto said SMA Unggul Garuda uses the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum to prepare students to pursue higher education at the world’s leading universities.
Prabowo made the statement in his State of the Nation Address at the 2026 Annual Session of the People’s Consultative Assembly of the Republic of Indonesia (MPR) and the Joint Session of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Indonesia (DPR) and the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) at the Parliament Complex on Friday.
“What makes these schools different is that they use an international curriculum, the IB, which meets the highest standards, on par with the best schools in the world, and we prepare students to enter the world’s best universities,” Prabowo said.
According to him, SMA Garuda is intended for Indonesian children with exceptional talent and academic ability.
The government has completed the construction of four SMA Garuda schools in East Belitung, Bangka Belitung Islands; South Konawe, Southeast Sulawesi; Bulungan, North Kalimantan; and South Central Timor, East Nusa Tenggara.
The government has also developed the SMA Garuda Transformasi program, which now covers 42 schools in 15 provinces, comprising 12 schools established in 2025 and an additional 30 schools in 2026.
The program is part of the government’s strategy to provide educational support based on students’ potential.
He stressed that fairness in education did not mean giving every child identical treatment, but providing support according to their individual needs and abilities.
“Fairness does not mean that the state gives everyone the same treatment. Fairness means that the state provides support according to people’s needs,” Prabowo said.
Through education based on international standards, the government is also expanding opportunities for Indonesian students to pursue higher education abroad.
He added that the number of undergraduate students sent to leading universities around the world through the Garuda Scholarship reached 416 in 2025 and increased to 515 in 2026.
The President said the government was also continuing to improve the quality of higher education institutions in Indonesia. This year, seven Indonesian state universities entered the ranks of the world’s top 500 universities.
Universitas Indonesia ranked 191st, while Universitas Gadjah Mada, Institut Teknologi Bandung, and Universitas Airlangga ranked among the world’s top 300.
Meanwhile, IPB University, Universitas Padjadjaran, and Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember were ranked among the top 500.
“I believe these will be further improved in the years ahead,” Prabowo said.
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Translator: Bayu Prasetyo