West Java's 2026 SPMB Opens, Many State Schools Still Under-Subscribed

Following the completion of the Prospective New Student Mapping (PCMB) system, West Java has commenced the 2026 New Student Admission System (SPMB) process, which opened from 15 June to 14 July. “The registration process was already carried out during the PCMB period. Now it is just a matter of following the technical guidelines to select the intended school,” said West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi. Based on the PCMB data, he added, there are still a number of state schools with insufficient applicants. He urged prospective students not to fixate on certain schools that are already overcrowded with registrants. “According to the data mapping we have, it turns out there are still many state schools that do not yet have enough applicants. Make good use of this opportunity, do not stubbornly insist on schools where participants are already piled up,” he stated. For prospective students residing in border areas, Dedi advised them to utilise the buffer schools that the government has prepared. “Those buffer schools can be used. The important thing is that our children go to school,” said the man familiarly known as KDM. In addition to regular schools, he also introduced Open Senior High Schools (SMA Terbuka) as an alternative for students who face limitations in attending face-to-face learning every day. “For those whose children cannot go to school every day, make use of Open High Schools. These are also state schools,” he said. KDM emphasised that graduates of Open High Schools will still receive a state diploma that holds the same legality as other state schools. “Later, the diploma will be a state diploma and the school could even be a prestigious one,” he asserted. On the other hand, for students who ultimately are not accepted into a state school, the option of attending a private school remains available. The West Java Provincial Government has established cooperation with around 700 private schools to ensure access to education remains open for all children. This cooperation will be supported through the Pancawaluya Scholarship programme so that students at partner private schools are not burdened with education costs. “We will soon enter an era where children in state schools and private schools cooperating with the provincial government are not charged fees by the school because the costs have already been provided in the form of the Pancawaluya Scholarship,” Dedi explained. He stressed that the West Java Provincial Government wants to deliver an education system that guarantees every child receives the right to attend school without being hindered by costs. “We are entering an era where the state is responsible for the education of its citizens. I invite all parents to remain enthusiastic about sending their children to school for a better future,” he concluded.