SMPN 5 Pupuan in Tabanan Faces Zero Registrations on Second Day of New Student Admissions

A registration crisis has again hit SMP Negeri 5 Pupuan in Tabanan during the New Student Admissions System (SPMB) for the 2026/2027 academic year. By the second day of online registration, Tuesday (23/6/2026), the number of prospective pupils registering remained nil.

Headteacher of SMPN 5 Pupuan, I Putu Suarta, revealed that up to the second day, there had been no significant surge in registrations. He noted the quiet registration period is due to the non-domicile pathway still being open. Registrations are likely to increase when the domicile pathway opens on 29 June 2026.

“However, parents of prospective pupils have already come and asked about the requirements,” Suarta said.

This year, SMPN 5 Pupuan is targeting the opening of two study groups with a normal capacity of 32 pupils per group. Yet, the real situation on the ground shows the number of registered pupils is still far from that quota.

According to Suarta, the trend of declining new pupil numbers has been occurring over the past few years. In the previous academic year, the number of new pupils only reached 15. Meanwhile, two years ago, 21 pupils were recorded in one study group.

Overall, the current number of pupils at SMPN 5 Pupuan is around 50. This condition forces the school to make extra efforts to attract the interest of primary school graduates in the surrounding area, such as SDN 1 Munduk Temu, SDN 2 Munduk Temu, and SDN 3 Munduk Temu.

“We hope to reach a minimum of 32 pupils so that two study groups can run optimally,” he stressed.

In this SPMB system, the domicile pathway remains the mainstay with a quota of around 30 percent. However, the minimal number of primary school graduates in the surrounding area is the main challenge faced by the school.

As is known, SPMB registration for the junior secondary level takes place over three days, from 22 to 24 June 2026, online via the official page spmb.tabkab.go.id. During these dates, the open pathways include affirmation, mutation, and achievement pathways consisting of report card grades, Academic Ability Tests (TKA), science, sports, and cultural arts. Meanwhile, for the domicile pathway, registration is scheduled to reopen from 29 June to 2 July, with the re-registration process taking place from 6 to 11 July 2026.