PORTALJABAR, BANDUNG CITY - The Bandung City Government (Pemkot) has begun finalizing the implementation of the New Student Admission System (SPMB) for the 2026/2027 Academic Year through a Public Socialization and Communication activity held at the Grandia Hotel Bandung, Tuesday (12/5/2026).

In the forum, the Mayor of Bandung, Muhammad Farhan, emphasized that the implementation of SPMB is not merely an annual administrative process, but rather the first step in ensuring that all children's educational rights are met fairly.

According to Farhan, the dynamics of Indonesia's new student admissions system are constantly changing from year to year. These include changes in names, mechanisms, and selection methods, which are continually adapted to meet community needs and challenges in the field.

"SPMB isn't just about student admissions administration. It's about ensuring children receive the education they deserve," said Farhan.

He acknowledged that the issue of accepting new students has always been a sensitive issue in society, especially in public schools which have limited capacity compared to the number of applicants.

However, based on data from the Bandung City Education Office, in general, the capacity for elementary school graduates to graduate from public junior high schools does not actually experience a large deficit.

The main problem, said Farhan, arose due to the implementation of the domicile or zoning system which requires equal access to education in various regions.

Therefore, Farhan believes that public communication is the key to ensuring that the public understands the applicable system and is not easily influenced by misinformation.

"Communication must not be interrupted. When people feel they aren't receiving clear information, it often leads to unnecessary unrest and unrest," he said.

In his direction, Farhan said that the implementation of SPMB 2026 had been strengthened through Bandung Mayor Regulation Number 24 of 2026 concerning amendments to Mayor Regulation Number 24 of 2025 concerning the new student admission system at the Kindergarten, Elementary, and Public Junior High School levels.

The regulation also includes technical instructions for the implementation of the SPMB for the 2026/2027 Academic Year to ensure the process runs orderly, clearly, and provides certainty for the public.

Farhan emphasized four main principles that all parties must uphold in implementing this year's SPMB.
The first principle is justice and equality.

He emphasized that no child in Bandung City should lose the opportunity to obtain an education simply because of economic limitations, access to information, or other non-academic factors.

"We want to ensure that all children have equal opportunities to grow and develop," he said.

The second principle is transparency and integrity. Farhan asked all levels of the Education Office, principals, school operators, and the SPMB committee to maintain a clean and open admissions process.

He also asked the Education Office to prepare a special public communications team that would actively provide information to the media and the public to prevent the confusion of information that occurred in previous years.

"Avoid data manipulation and other irregularities that could undermine public trust. Integrity is the face of all of us," he said.

Furthermore, Farhan also highlighted the importance of humane service to the community. He noted that the school admissions period is a time of both hope and anxiety for parents.

Therefore, services must be provided in a friendly, clear, informative manner and be able to provide solutions to people experiencing difficulties.

He asked all regional elements, starting from sub-districts, urban villages, RT/RWs to the Regional Leadership Communication Forum (Forkopimda), to help maintain conducive conditions during the recruitment process.

Farhan also assessed that strengthening the digital system is an important step to minimize the potential for data manipulation in the implementation of SPMB.

“With a digital system, the risk of data intervention is much smaller,” he said.

In front of the socialization participants, Farhan also invited the mass media, education committees, community organizations, and community groups to work together to disseminate correct information regarding the 2026 SPMB.

According to him, the success of the new student admission system is not only the government's responsibility, but also requires the active participation of all elements of society.

He also expressed his appreciation to the Bandung City Education Office and the 2026 SPMB committee, which he considered to hold a significant responsibility in ensuring fair and high-quality access to education.

"This is the joy of democracy. The truth isn't protected by just one party, but is a shared responsibility," he said.

Farhan hopes that the 2026 SPMB will foster improved educational governance and support the development of a superior, character-driven, competitive generation in Bandung, ready to face future challenges, and achieve the vision of Bandung Utama: excellence, openness, trustworthiness, progress, and religiousness. (Bandung City Communications and Information Office/rka)