Obstacles Experienced by Parents of Students in the 2025 Indonesian SPMB

According to a survey by Katadata Insight Center (KIC), 9 out of 10 parent respondents in Indonesia believe that the 2025 new student admission system (SPMB) is running well.

As many as 9 out of 10 respondents also consider SPMB to be better than the system implemented last year, namely the new student enrollment (PPDB).

However, various obstacles still occurred in SPMB 2025, especially technical issues, such as problems during login, document upload, data synchronization, and so on.

Quite a number of people also faced issues due to website errors during mass registration.

The following is a list of SPMB obstacles according to parents who registered their children for junior high and senior high school this year: 

• Technical issues: 50.8%

• Website errors during mass registration: 47.4%

• Unaware of the system change from PPDB to SPMB: 39.3%

• Lack of socialization regarding SPMB technical rules: 37.4%

• Unclear selection process, schedule, and mechanism: 28.9%

• Lack of understanding of the differences between selection pathways (domicile, affirmation, achievement, transfer): 21.6%

• Unsure about which documents need to be prepared: 17.5%

• SPMB complaint service unresponsive/non-existent: 17.4% 

"Respondents hope that system improvements will focus on ease of process, transparency, fairness, as well as clearer and more massive socialization," said KIC in its report Public Perception of the New Student Admission System (September 2025).

KIC conducted this survey from August 1-22, 2025, involving 1,074 parent respondents in Indonesia, which was then narrowed down to 713 individuals who registered their children for junior high and senior high school through SPMB.

Respondents in this survey were spread across Java (65.6%), Sumatra (18.5%), Sulawesi (4.9%), Kalimantan (4.7%), Bali-Nusa Tenggara (4.2%), and Maluku-Papua (2%).

KIC also conducted in-depth interviews with various stakeholders, including parents, students, teachers, school principals, local governments, and education observers, to understand the challenges of SPMB implementation. The full report can be downloaded here.