Should SNBP Line Student Admissions Be Maintained?

JAKARTA Hundreds of students in a number of areas protested because they were threatened with failing to participate in the National Selection Based on Achievements (SNBP). School negligence filling out the School and Student Database (PDSS) is suspected to be the cause.

The Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology (Kemendiktek) revealed that 373 schools were late for filling out PDSS for SNBP at State Universities (PTN).

"There are 373 identified schools that have been included in the school category that have completed the filling data of eligible students, such as completing the values of eligible students in 5 semesters, but have not finalized them," said the General Chairperson of the SNPMB 2025 Committee, Eduart Wlok, in his statement.

"This causes students at schools that have not completed the finalization of PDSS cannot register SNBP," he added.

This condition makes hundreds of students from various schools threatened not being able to participate in SNBP. SMAN 4 Karawang Regency, West Java, for example, as many as 141 students failed to register for SNBP allegedly due to school negligence. The parents were disappointed and considered the school negligent because they had not completed filling out the PDSS.

Another story with 148 students of SMAN 17 Makassar, South Sulawesi, who are also threatened with failing to participate in SNBP. This happened because the school had the wrong hour when filling out the PDSS.

Deputy Head of SMAN 17 Makassar Kartini Kurnia said the operator on duty was negligent regarding the time limit for filling out student data to PDSS. The operator thought the deadline for inputting data was January 31 at 24.00 WITA, but it turned out that it was only until 15.00 WITA.

For information, SNBP is one of the entry routes for PTN in the 2025 National Selection for New Student Admissions (SNPMB). The determination of SNBP graduation is based on the values of report cards, portfolios, and student achievements, both academically and non-akademically reported through PDSS. In other words, students have the opportunity to enter higher education without going through a test.

In addition to being a database, PDSS is also a registration requirement for schools to register students to universities and become considerations or assessments in the 2025 SNBP. Meanwhile, SNPMB 2025 opens three lanes, namely SNBP, National Selection Based on Tests (SNBT), and Independent Selection.

The failure of students to enter PTN through the SNBP route has generated a polemic. On the one hand, many people regret this incident, especially since the cause is suspected to be due to the negligence of the school. The student's hard work for five semesters before following the SNBP route looked in vain.

But on the other hand, not a few also call this SNBP route 'less quality' while the National Test-Based Selection Line (SNBT) is considered fairer.

The National Coordinator of the Indonesian Education Monitoring Network (JPPI) Ubaid Matraji said that the root of this problem lies in the negligence of many parties. Starting from schools that do not update, educational offices that are not able to supervise, school supervisors are not concerned, and the government at the ministry level does not seem to coordinate well.

This collective negligence, said Ubaid, ultimately sacrificed students who did not know anything.

Ubaid said this negligence should not be repeated from year to year. Students are beneficiaries of the SNBP line. So as beneficiaries, it should not be a failure due to the negligence of third parties making those who are entitled to it, so they are sacrificed.

"So an online database or SNBP is a tool to achieve goals, namely wider and inclusive access to higher education. If the system does not reach that goal, then it needs to be evaluated," said Ubaid.

Ubaid said that negligent parties had violated children's rights in education. Because this chaos is not the fault of students, but the fault of schools and policy makers.

Meanwhile, education observer Darmaningtyas highlighted student admissions through the SNBP route or also known as the invitation route. Darmaningtyas said that he had actually criticized the invitation route for a long time because according to him it was discriminatory about new schools and suburban schools.

"The invitation line should be reduced, the maximum quota is only 20 percent," said Darmaningtyas.

For now, said Darmaningtyas, the composition of the invitation line is as follows: 40 percent for accredited schools A, 20 percent for accredited schools B, and 5 percent for accredited schools C.

"Then what about the new school? Even though it may also give birth to great people. Therefore, since the invitation line program was implemented 12 years ago, I have already filled in the quota, it should be limited," said Darmaningtyas.

Another thing that is in the spotlight of Darmaningtyas regarding the invitation route is the value of the report card which is the basis for the assessment. In fact, according to him, the good report card value does not necessarily reflect the reality.

"So if you are smart, you should be confident that you will pass the test route," he said.

Apart from that, Darmaningtyas did not deny that there were problems in student registration through the SNBP route, considering that this had been running routinely for years.

"What's wrong now is the issue of system change, previously one ministry, now the ministry is broken down and harmonization of the system is not easy," Darmaningtyas explained.

"This is a problem, yes. But my view is that this path should not be maintained because it is discriminatory towards lower-tier schools, including schools that have just been established," he concluded.