DEPOK – A wave of panic swept through hundreds of parents in Depok City who flocked to the New Student Admission System (SPMB) Complaint Post. A long queue stretching to over 300 service numbers was seen crowding the 6th floor of the Dibaleka Building, the Depok City Education Office. The massive crowd that lasted until the afternoon was triggered by various technical issues in the public school registration process for levels from Kindergarten to Junior High School. Most residents complained about the digital system stalling, including Septy, a parent who had to come in person because her child’s registration account was not verified. Even though all uploaded document data had reached 100 percent status since the first day of the achievement track opening, the verification delay caused the button to select the intended public junior high school to be locked and inaccessible, while the deadline for the achievement track was very urgent.
The SPMB committee noted that the post, which had been operating since the pre-registration period from late May to July, received over 100 complaints in a single day due to the high tension of public panic. A committee representative explained that most complaints at the service desk were dominated by similar technical issues, ranging from slow account verification, problems with newly issued Family Cards due to data changes, to errors in determining the domicile coordinates of prospective students. In response to the coordinate issue, the Education Office stated it had provided a tolerance policy of one opportunity for data changes. Authorities also urged parents not to panic and crowd the Education Office, as location corrections can now be handled directly through operators stationed at each target school.
As a solution to reduce the crowd at the physical post, the Depok City Education Office has integrated an online complaint channel via WhatsApp instant messaging, tailored by school level. For issues at the Kindergarten and Elementary levels, reports can be sent to 0852-8622-8680, while for Junior High School matters, reports are directed to 0852-8622-8682. All help centers, both in-person at the post and digital, are confirmed to operate simultaneously during official working hours, from 07:00 to 16:00 WIB. The SPMB management hopes the public can wisely optimize the use of this digital document complaint facility, along with a deeper understanding of all applicable regulations, requirements, and registration terms to ensure a smooth selection process.
