Residents of RW 06, Salembaran Village, Kosambi District, held a protest against the 2025 student admission selection system (SPMB) at State High School 5 in Tangerang Regency on Thursday, July 10, 2025.
The protest was organized by parents living outside the school’s immediate area who were disappointed that their children did not pass the SPMB.
At the scene, one prospective parent became emotional and slammed a table after a mediation meeting with school officials.
One resident, Devi Ferdiansyah, 42, stated that the protest was an expression of their dissatisfaction with the SPMB process in their area.
She expressed confusion, as her children’s academic scores were not poor and should have qualified them for admission.
“Under the current system, our children are not accepted at SMAN 05. This protest represents our aspirations and my personal disappointment as a local resident, especially since our home is only 100 meters from the school,” said Devi Ferdiansyah.
Devi also criticized the lack of public outreach regarding changes to the SPMB system. Additionally, she lamented the absence of affirmative policies for residents near the school.
“None of our children were accepted at SMAN 05. Out of 19 applicants, only 7 were admitted, and our child’s grades weren’t bad at all—they averaged 85,” she explained.
Meanwhile, the principal of SMAN 05 Tangerang Regency, Krisma Dermaki, stated that there was no foul play in the SPMB process, as everything was conducted according to technical guidelines.
“The SPMB selection process follows the guidelines and is system-regulated—we don’t make the decisions,” he emphasized.
He explained that this year’s SPMB rules had changed and that parents should have been more proactive in seeking information.
The school was simply implementing regulations set by the Education Office and the Governor of Banten.
“This year’s system is indeed different from previous years. The zoning pathway has been replaced by a residency pathway that prioritizes Academic Potential Test (TPA) scores, rather than home-to-school distance,” he concluded.
