West Lombok 'Sekolah Rakyat' Intake Slashed to 60 Seats Amid Construction Delays

The quota for new students at Sekolah Rakyat (SR) in West Lombok Regency, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), has been reduced for the 2026 New Student Admission System (SPMB). The reduction is due to the fact that a permanent SR building in West Lombok has yet to be constructed.

Satria Irwandi, Head of Sekolah Rakyat Menengah Pertama (SRMP) 18 West Lombok, stated that the number of students accepted this year is only 60, down from 100 the previous year. This reduction also applies to the Sekolah Rakyat Dasar (SRD) in West Lombok.

“We still received an allocation for new students, totalling 60. The Sekolah Rakyat Dasar (SRD) also received 60,” Satria said on Thursday (11/6/2026).

Satria explained that a larger portion of this year’s student intake has been allocated to North Lombok Regency because a permanent SR building has already been constructed there. “There is a distribution, so because North Lombok has a permanent building, more students from there are prioritised. If combined, the numbers would be large,” he said.

Nevertheless, he remains optimistic that the quota for West Lombok students will increase once the construction of the permanent SR is realised. According to him, the number of children eligible to become SR students in West Lombok is quite high, reaching 300 this year. “It is quite high in West Lombok, even exceeding 300,” he noted.

Satria also revealed that the new student registration process has been completed. The Ministry of Social Affairs (Kemensos) is currently verifying prospective students’ data, particularly regarding their desil status, which is a primary admission requirement. “Registration has finished, and verification regarding their desil is underway,” he said.

The 60 new students will study and reside at the Integrated Sekolah Rakyat (SRT) in North Lombok alongside students from other regions.

Previously, the Sekolah Rakyat in West Lombok was targeted to begin construction in September 2025. The school was planned to be built in Kuripan Utara Village, Kuripan District, adjacent to the Class IIA West Lombok Correctional Facility. “We will begin the groundbreaking in September,” Public Works Minister Dody Hanggodo stated during a visit to the Sekolah Rakyat Menengah Pertama (SRPM) in West Lombok on Monday (14/7/2025).

However, construction has stalled to date. The 8.5-hectare site designated for the school is hindered because it is still classified as a Sustainable Food Agriculture Zone (KP2B).