City Council Hopes the SPMB will Run Smoothly

Vice Chairwoman of the Jakarta City Council, Rany Mauliani, confirmed that her party will continue to monitor the implementation of the New Student Admission System (SPMB) to ensure it runs smoothly and meets the needs of the community.

public receives good service

Rany said the Jakarta City Council has no special preparations for the SPMB implementation, as all student admission mechanisms and regulations fall under the jurisdiction of the Education Agency. However, the City Council continues to oversee every policy implemented.

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"The City Council monitors every policy that is implemented, both new regulations and mechanisms that have been running previously," she said.

Rany added the City Council will ensure the public receives good service throughout the student admissions process. She hopes that the SPMB implementation will improve with annual evaluations and improvements.

In addition, Rany assessed that the Jakarta Provincial Government's policy of adding 103 free private schools could be a solution for prospective students who have not been accommodated in public schools.

However, she admitted that the biggest challenge in implementing SPMB is still related to the high level of public interest in a number of schools that are considered favorites.

"Sometimes, parents already have a specific school in mind for their children. When quotas are limited, not everyone can be accepted. Therefore, the existence of 103 free private schools could be a solution and an option," she added.

Rany explained that the domicile-based, or zoning, admissions system was designed to bring educational access closer to students' homes. With schools closer, students are expected to be able to learn more optimally without having to spend a lot of time and energy traveling.

"The goal is for students to learn optimally. If the school is too far away, they have to wake up earlier and get home later. This situation certainly affects the quality of their learning," she explained.

Rany further stated that the Jakarta City Council still has the possibility of establishing a SPMB complaint post, which will be discussed with the Education Agency. However, she assured that the public will still have a channel to file complaints if they encounter any issues during the registration process.

"Hopefully this year's SPMB will run smoothly and make things easier for the public," she hoped.