West Java Legislator Says Data Validation Key to Sekolah Maung Success

Kuningan (ANTARA) - West Java Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) member Tina Wiryewayti believes that the validation and synchronisation of student data from underprivileged families is a crucial factor in supporting the success of the Sekolah Maung Programme, including in Kuningan Regency, West Java.

Speaking in Kuningan on Tuesday, Tina stated that educational programmes targeting low-income communities require an accurate database to ensure benefits are received by the rightful students. According to her, data precision will assist the government in executing programmes more effectively while expanding educational access for vulnerable groups.

She noted that focusing on data quality aligns with the central government’s efforts to improve educational services and ensure equal learning opportunities. “Data synchronisation is vital to support the directives of President Prabowo Subianto, who has placed great importance on school revitalisation and guaranteeing educational access for the poor,” she said.

Tina remarked that the issue of data for aid recipients remains a task that needs refinement, particularly in the process of determining recipient groups based on welfare levels. Therefore, provincial and local governments must continue to strengthen coordination in updating the data of potential beneficiaries.

In addition to data improvements, she assessed that programme socialisation must be conducted from the outset so that the public understands the mechanisms and objectives of the government’s policies. According to her, providing adequate information can increase community participation and support the smooth implementation of the programme on the ground.

She emphasised the importance of maturing the scheme and conducting comprehensive socialisation to ensure the programme is not implemented abruptly, which could cause confusion or disappointment among the public. Tina is optimistic that the Sekolah Maung Programme can provide broader benefits for students from low-income families if supported by valid data and planned execution.

“We hope that various inputs from the community can serve as evaluation material to strengthen the implementation of the Sekolah Maung Programme so that the goal of equal educational access can be achieved optimally,” she said.

According to ANTARA research, Sekolah Maung (Manusia Unggul/Superior Humans) is an educational programme initiated by the West Java Provincial Government to transform secondary schools (SMA/SMK) into centres for developing high-achieving students, both academically, non-academically, and through special high-IQ pathways.

Currently, there are 41 Sekolah Maung in West Java officially designated by the West Java Provincial Government for the 2026/2027 academic year. This number is divided into two levels of public educational units, namely 28 State Senior High Schools (SMA Negeri) and 13 State Vocational High Schools (SMK Negeri).

The distribution of Sekolah Maung spans various regencies and cities across West Java. For instance, in the Bogor, Depok, and Bekasi (Bodebek) areas, schools include SMAN 1 Bogor, SMAN 2 Cibinong, SMAN 1 Depok, SMAN 1 Bekasi, and SMKN 1 Cibinong. Other areas include SMAN 1 Purwakarta, SMAN 1 Subang, and SMAN 1 Parigi in Pangandaran.

The initial selection process (SPMB) for these 41 schools has been completed, with results announced on 8 June 2026, featuring a total student capacity of 18,268 slots.