Nearest School, Unequal Access: Residential Justice in the Implementation of the New Student Admission System in Bandung City
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65815/np6n1e07Keywords:
SPMB, residential justice, educational inequality, school admission, BandungAbstract
The implementation of residential-based student admission policies is intended to promote equal access to public education by reducing geographical barriers and limiting excessive competition among applicants. However, residential proximity does not necessarily guarantee substantive equality when schools differ significantly in quality, resources, reputation, and socioeconomic composition. This study examines the implementation of Indonesia’s New Student Admission System (SPMB) in Bandung City through the lens of residential justice. It investigates how residential criteria shape students’ access to public secondary schools and whether the policy effectively reduces or instead reproduces existing educational inequalities. Using a qualitative case study approach, the research analyzes local policy documents and admission mechanisms and incorporates perspectives from education officials, school administrators, parents, and prospective students. The study conceptualizes justice not merely as equal geographical access but as equitable opportunities to obtain quality education. Preliminary analytical expectations suggest that residential-based admission may redistribute access without addressing unequal school quality across neighborhoods. The study therefore argues that admission reform should be accompanied by policies addressing school quality disparities, transportation accessibility, and socioeconomic segregation. The findings are expected to contribute to the international debate on admission policies, spatial inequality, and education justice in decentralized education systems.
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