Three Maung Schools in Bekasi to Begin SPMB Earlier

Under Governor Dedi Mulyadi’s leadership, the West Java Provincial Government has officially revived the flagship school concept through the Sekolah Maung (Manusia Unggul) programme. The strategic initiative aims to restore the reputation of state schools as the proving ground for high-achieving students in West Java.

Through the West Java Provincial Education Office, 41 schools—28 SMAN and 13 SMKN—have been prepared to transform into Sekolah Maung from the 2026/2027 academic year. The schools are spread across districts and cities within West Java.

Head of the West Java Provincial Education Office, Purwanto, explained that the selection of the 41 schools was made selectively based on proposals from the Education Office’s Branch Offices (KCD) in their respective areas. ‘The selection was based on proposals from the branch offices. They know best the conditions in their environments, after which we collected and validated the data,’ Purwanto said in a statement on Thursday (21 May 2026).

For Bekasi, three schools have been designated as Sekolah Maung. The fundamental difference between Sekolah Maung and regular schools lies in the admission mechanism. Sekolah Maung will not implement zoning or domicile-based routes. Instead, these schools will prioritise the merit pathway entirely.

The 2026 SPMB schedule for Sekolah Maung will also start earlier, from 25–29 May 2026. ‘For Sekolah Maung, the SPMB starts earlier and there is no longer a domicile route as in regular schools. The selection is conducted purely through SPMB,’ Purwanto asserted.

Purwanto added that this programme is not merely about prestige, but carries an inclusivity mission. Sekolah Maung is expected to be a solution for bright students from economically weaker families to continue receiving high-quality education without relying on expensive private schools. ‘We want to restore the formerly proud schools to be a source of pride again for the community. This is an alternative for high achievers to be served with the best standards in state schools,’ he said.

Under this new scheme, entry competition for West Java’s favourite schools is expected to be based on academic competence and non-academic achievements measured by report grades and TKA. The Governor of West Java, Dedi Mulyadi (KDM), also offered a career-switch solution for PKL Cicadas Bandung trainees to become cleaning staff with UMK wages.