Fair for Whom?: Contesting Residential and Merit-Based Pathways in Public Senior High School Admission in Yogyakarta

Bhakti Arum Widyastuti

doi:10.65815/j5bn7m68

Authors

Bhakti Arum Widyastuti Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.65815/j5bn7m68

Keywords:

meritocracy, residential admission, educational justice, school choice, Yogyakarta

Abstract

School admission policies frequently involve competing conceptions of justice. Residential pathways emphasize equal access and spatial redistribution, whereas merit-based pathways prioritize academic achievement and individual performance. The coexistence of these principles raises an important policy question: which conception of justice should determine access to high-demand public schools? This study examines the tension between residential and merit-based admission pathways in public senior high schools in Yogyakarta City. Using a qualitative policy case study, the research explores how students, parents, school administrators, and policymakers interpret fairness within the admission system. Particular attention is given to the relationship between students’ residential location, socioeconomic background, prior educational opportunities, and academic achievement. The study employs a multidimensional justice framework encompassing distributive equality, procedural fairness, and recognition of unequal starting conditions. It argues that merit cannot be considered socially neutral when access to high-quality learning environments, tutoring, digital resources, and family support is unequally distributed. At the same time, residential criteria may fail to ensure meaningful equality when school quality remains geographically differentiated. The study proposes a balanced admission framework in which merit and residential considerations are accompanied by stronger affirmative mechanisms and equalization of school quality across neighborhoods.

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