Student Protests Erupt Across Indonesia Over University Selection Data Issues

Jakarta, Indonesia – Hundreds of students across Indonesia staged protests on February 6th and 7th, 2025, expressing deep frustration and demanding accountability from school authorities over potential exclusion from a crucial national university selection pathway. The students reportedly face being unable to participate in the Seleksi Nasional Berdasarkan Prestasi (SNBP) 2025 due to alleged issues with school data submission.

Protests in Medan and Pontianak

The wave of demonstrations began on Thursday morning, February 6, 2025, when hundreds of students from SMK Negeri 10 in Medan, North Sumatra, gathered at their school located on Jalan Cik Ditiro. [6] The protesting students held banners and voiced allegations of negligence and delays by school operators or other involved parties in inputting essential student data into the Pangkalan Data Sekolah dan Siswa (PDSS). [6] This data is fundamental for students to be considered eligible for the SNBP pathway.

Approximately 140 students from SMK Negeri 10 Medan were identified as potentially affected by the data input issues, placing their university aspirations at risk. [6] The protest saw participation not only from students but also some parents, highlighting the gravity of the situation for families.

The following day, Friday afternoon, February 7, 2025, similar scenes unfolded in West Kalimantan. A total of 103 students from class 12 of SMK Negeri 1 Kota Pontianak also staged a protest. [6] Their demands mirrored those in Medan, focusing on requiring accountability from the school over alleged negligence concerning the PDSS data input process. [6]

School Explanations and Regional Context

Responding to the protest at SMK Negeri 1 Kota Pontianak, the Head of the school, Anis Syarifuddin, offered an explanation for the data complications. [6] He stated that the issue arose because eligible students who were initially expected to be included in the submission had withdrawn from the process, a development that reportedly affected the overall input system. [6]

The situation appears to extend beyond individual schools in West Kalimantan. The Acting Governor of West Kalimantan, Harisson, weighed in on the broader context, revealing a significant backlog in the data submission process across the province. [6] Governor Harisson disclosed that as many as 90 out of a total of 283 high schools (SMA), vocational schools (SMK), and Islamic high schools (MA) in West Kalimantan had not yet completed the necessary PDSS input process. [6] This suggests that the problems faced by students at SMK Negeri 1 Kota Pontianak may be indicative of a wider systemic challenge in the region.

Understanding SNBP and PDSS

The Seleksi Nasional Berdasarkan Prestasi (SNBP) is a crucial national selection pathway that allows high-achieving students to gain admission to state universities based on their academic records and other achievements. [6] Eligibility for SNBP is contingent upon schools accurately and promptly submitting student data to the Pangkalan Data Sekolah dan Siswa (PDSS), a centralized database containing academic and personal information for eligible students. [6] Delays or errors in this data submission process can directly prevent students, even those with strong academic profiles, from registering and being considered for the competitive SNBP pathway, thus threatening their opportunity to attend a state university in 2025.

Impact on Student Futures

The protests underscore the significant anxiety and uncertainty faced by students across Indonesia as the deadline for university selection processes approaches. The potential failure to participate in SNBP 2025, a key route to higher education for many, represents a substantial setback for their academic and professional futures. Students and parents are calling for urgent intervention to rectify the data issues and ensure that eligible candidates are not unfairly penalized by administrative problems.