Affirmative Justice in the New Student Admission System: Access of Low-Income Students to Public Schools in Surabaya City

Abstract

Affirmative admission policies are designed to compensate for socioeconomic disadvantages that restrict students’ opportunities to access quality public education. In Indonesia, the New Student Admission System (SPMB) incorporates affirmative pathways intended to provide greater opportunities for students from economically disadvantaged households. Nevertheless, formal eligibility does not necessarily translate into substantive access, particularly when families face difficulties related to documentation, information, digital registration, and school capacity. This study examines the implementation of the affirmative pathway of SPMB in Surabaya City and evaluates its contribution to educational justice for low-income students. Employing a qualitative case study design, the research investigates policy implementation, administrative procedures, access barriers, and perceptions among parents, students, schools, and local education authorities. The analytical framework combines distributive and procedural justice to assess whether benefits are fairly distributed and whether admission procedures are transparent, accessible, and responsive to disadvantaged families. The study argues that affirmative policies should be evaluated beyond admission rates by examining the institutional barriers that influence students’ ability to utilize affirmative provisions. The research contributes to education policy scholarship by demonstrating how apparently equitable admission mechanisms can produce unequal outcomes when administrative and informational capacities vary across socioeconomic groups.