West Java DPRD Flags Potential Gaps in New Student Admission Verification, Calls for System Evaluation and Staff Training

A member of Commission V of the West Java Regional People’s Representative Council (DPRD), Maulana Yusuf, has highlighted the implementation of the New Student Admission System (SPMB), which he believes still leaves a number of issues on the ground. One of these concerns the buffer school mechanism, which he feels needs evaluation to continue prioritising the principle of fairness for prospective students. Maulana assessed that the existence of buffer schools is fundamentally a good policy. According to him, the scheme was designed to provide educational access for areas that do not yet have schools, particularly state schools. “Regulation-wise, the existence of buffer schools is good. The aim is to help areas that do not yet have schools, especially state schools, so that educational access remains open for the community,” Maulana told Republika.co.id on Thursday (18/6/2026). However, he admitted to receiving information that prospective students domiciled very close to a school were not accepted, while other participants from farther distances could qualify through certain pathways. This situation, he said, needs serious attention from SPMB organisers. “If there are indeed students whose homes are very close to the school but are not accepted, while those from farther away get in, there must be a transparent explanation. A good system must be able to ensure a sense of justice for the community,” he stated. Maulana requested that the entire selection process be conducted openly and accountably to avoid suspicion among the public. He believes every report and complaint that arises needs to be followed up objectively by the relevant parties. In addition, the politician familiarly known as Kang Prof also highlighted the document verification process carried out at the school level. According to him, verification officers face considerable challenges in checking the validity of various documents required for registration. He assessed that the government needs to provide adequate briefing to SPMB implementing officers so they have equal capability in conducting administrative verification. “Our concern is the readiness of the verifiers at schools. They should not just receive technical instructions without being equipped with sufficient training to recognise and verify the authenticity of documents submitted by participants,” he said. According to Maulana, training or technical guidance is important so that officers are able to examine various documents more accurately, from family cards to other supporting documents used in the selection process. He also touched on complaints from a number of teachers and SPMB organising committees who must carry out additional duties during the student admission process. Therefore, he hopes the budget that has been allocated for the SPMB implementation can be utilised optimally, including for increasing the capacity of field officers. “If the budget is already available, it must be ensured that its use truly supports the quality of SPMB implementation, including training for officers and support for committees carrying out their duties,” said Maulana. Commission V of the West Java DPRD, he continued, will continue to oversee the SPMB implementation to ensure it runs transparently, professionally, and provides fair opportunities for all prospective students in West Java. Meanwhile, Republika.co.id has attempted to seek a response from the Head of the Senior High School Division of the West Java Provincial Education Office, Iis Rostiasih, regarding the 2026 SPMB implementation, including the buffer school mechanism and the student document verification process. However, as of the time this report was filed, the official had not responded to the interview or confirmation requests submitted by Republika.co.id.