Kemendikdasmen Catalogs Public Elementary Schools With Under 60 Students
The ministry is preparing a meeting with Mendagri after enrollment at public elementary schools fell and more families chose private schools.
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education is cataloging public elementary schools with fewer than 60 students after many SDN in various regions drew little interest in the 2026/2027 school year. Minister Abdul Mu'ti said the issue had already been discussed informally with Home Affairs Minister Tito Karnavian and will be taken up in a special meeting. On the ground, SDN Purwoyoso 01 in Semarang took in only three new students, while SDN 2 Cepokosawit in Boyolali received one. DPR Speaker Puan Maharani urged the government to map the causes nationwide down to the village and subdistrict level, including data on school-age children, birth trends, settlement growth, school capacity and travel distance. BPS data updated in February 2026 showed the number of public elementary students fell from 130.624 in 2021 to 128.933 in 2025, while private elementary schools rose from 18.239 to 20.095.