Indonesian Government Begins to Recruit Garuda School Students

RRI.CO.ID , Jakarta - The Indonesian government officially launched the selection process for new students to the Garuda Superior Senior High School (SMA Unggul Garuda) for the 2026/2027 academic year, on Thursday, 29 January 2026.

Minister of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, Brian Yuliarto, affirmed that developing superior human resources is a national priority, as directed by President Prabowo Subianto. He believes that the Garuda Superior Senior High School is positioned as the starting point in preparing a generation of Indonesian leaders with global competitiveness.

“The launch of the New Student Admissions Selection (PPDB) for Garuda Superior High School is certainly part of the state's strategic efforts to build national talent management starting from the secondary education level. This is the initial foundation for preparing Indonesia's future generation of leaders,” Brian Yuliarto conveyed during the virtual launch on Thursday.

In addition, Brian stated that the Garuda Superior High School will focus on recruiting outstanding talents with strong interest and achievements in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM. All students admitted to the program will be fully funded by the state, regardless of their economic background.

“We sincerely hope that students from all backgrounds, as long as they are talented, hardworking, and able to develop their potential, will be fully supported. The government will be present to facilitate them, so that the nation’s best talents who will drive Indonesia’s progress can pursue the highest level of education with full state support,” the minister stated.

On the same occasion, the Director General of Science and Technology at the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology, Ahmad Najib Burhani, added that the selection process for this academic year marks the recruitment of the first batch of Garuda School students at four new Garuda Schools.

“This year, we will recruit the first batch of Garuda School students located in Bangka Belitung, East Nusa Tenggara, North Kalimantan, and Southeast Sulawesi, with a total of 640 students,” Najib said.

Garuda Schools are designed as a specialized education ecosystem featuring an international-standard curriculum, adequate learning facilities, and highly qualified teachers and education personnel. According to Minister Brian, the government aims to establish 20 SMA Unggul Garuda schools, along with the development of Garuda Superior High School Transformation with equivalent standards and qualifications.