In a bid to increase educational accessibility, the government of Indonesia is preparing to implement a new System of Student Admission (SPMB) in 2025. The effort, led by the Ministry of Education, seeks to simplify the admission process and allow students from all walks of life to study in schools throughout the nation.
Lestari Moerdijat, NasDem Party's Commission X member of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI), highlighted the need for local governments to actively socialize the new SPMB requirements. "I think local governments need to actively socialize the new SPMB so that parents know what they need to do to enroll their children in schools next academic year", she stated.
The 2025 SPMB will have four different pathways: domicile, affirmation, achievement, and mutation. The domicile path is for students who reside near the school, while the affirmation path is for students from poor families and those with disabilities. The achievement path is for students who are excellent in academic or non-academic areas, and the mutation path is for students whose families move for work.
Moerdijat emphasized transparency in implementing the requirements for every pathway. "The different requirements given for each route must be executed transparently by local authorities", she added.
The 2025-2026 academic year admission process will likely start early in May and run until June 2025. The number of students studying in elementary, junior high, and high schools during the 2024-2025 academic year is estimated at 52.91 million, down from 53.21 million the previous year, as per the Central Statistics Agency. Moerdijat urged local governments to quickly establish the necessary requirements for each SPMB pathway, enabling parents and prospective students to prepare adequately.
In a parallel move, Universitas Islam Negeri (UIN) Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta has confirmed the opening of the Ujian Masuk-Perguruan Tinggi Keagamaan Islam Negeri Negeri (UM-PTKIN) pathway, which is set to take effect on April 22, 2025. This alternative provides a different route for those students who did not get to enroll through the Seleksi Prestasi Akademik Nasional-Perguruan Tinggi Keagamaan Islam Negeri (SPAN-PTKIN) route.
Zaenal Muttaqin, UIN Jakarta Head of Information and Public Relations Center, said on April 3, 2025, that there is still a great chance for future students in the UM-PTKIN route. "Students who were not lucky enough to pass the SPAN-PTKIN track or are not qualified in that track should not be disappointed, as there is still plenty of room in the UM-PTKIN track", he added.
UIN Jakarta provides 30 study programs to applicants in the UM-PTKIN path, including programs in Islamic Education, Arabic Language Education, English Language Teaching, and Islamic studies programs.
For the UM-PTKIN path, UIN Jakarta uses a quota of 2,856 new students, far exceeding the quota of 1,236 new students in the SPAN PTKIN path. Registration for the UM-PTKIN route may be done online through the specific adisi page offered by the National Committee for PMB PTKIN. The selection will be conducted offline at the assigned PTKIN test centers, using the Electronic Selection System (SSE) application for both the examination materials and answer sheets.
Registration for the UM-PTKIN route will take place between April 22, 2025, at 08:00 WIB and May 28, 2025, at 15:00 WIB. All students from different educational backgrounds, such as Madrasah Aliyah, Sekolah Menengah Atas, Sekolah Menengah Kejuruan, and others with similar educational levels, may apply for this route.
With the development of the Indonesian education system, these efforts demonstrate a pledge to inclusivity and accessibility to ensure that every student, despite their situation, can pursue their educational aspirations. With the establishment of the new SPMB and UM-PTKIN channels, the government and schools are making serious strides toward improving the quality of education and creating a competitive workforce.
