Two Primary Schools in Kintamani to Be Merged Due to Low Student Intake

The Bangli Regency Government plans to merge two state primary schools in the Kintamani District, Bali. The schools involved are SDN 5 Batur and SDN 1 Batur.

Head of the Bangli Education, Youth, and Sports Office (Disdikpora), I Komang Pariartha, stated on Thursday (16/7/2026) that preparations for the merger are underway. The integration was prompted by a severe lack of new student enrolment at SDN 5 Batur, which received only four new students for the 2026/2027 academic year.

Pariartha explained that the regrouping process is currently in the administrative completion stage, with a target to finalise the merger by the end of 2027. He confirmed that there are currently no other plans for school mergers beyond these two institutions.

Ni Wayan Sintia, a sixth-grade teacher at SDN 5 Batur, reported that new student admissions have been steadily declining since the COVID-19 pandemic. She suspects the reduction in teaching staff is a contributing factor, noting that two teachers have retired and seven others have transferred to different schools. “For six years, we have received fewer than ten new students. Five years ago, we received none at all,” she said.

Sintia added that this year’s school orientation programme was not held exclusively for the new students but was combined with pupils from grades two through six to ensure the newcomers felt comfortable. The four new students are scheduled to begin regular classes on 20 July. The two schools are located within the same area, while SDN 1 Batur enrolled approximately 53 new students this year.