Indonesia's SMA Garuda schools adopt international curriculum to prepare students for global universities
President Prabowo Subianto announced that SMA Unggul Garuda schools use the International Baccalaureate curriculum to prepare talented Indonesian students for admission to the world's leading universities, as part of a broader national strategy to enhance educational equity and quality.
SMA Garuda uses IB curriculum to target world's universities: Prabowo
President Prabowo Subianto announced that SMA Unggul Garuda schools employ the International Baccalaureate curriculum to prepare Indonesian students for admission to leading universities worldwide, speaking at the 2026 Annual Session of the People's Consultative Assembly at the Parliament Complex on Friday.
The schools, part of the government's Quick Win Program Number 4, aim to build integrated excellent schools across Indonesia's districts and cities. The curriculum choice reflects a strategic decision to align Indonesian education with global standards developed in Geneva, Switzerland in the early-to-mid-1960s and now taught in over 140 countries.
"What makes these schools different is that they use an international curriculum, the IB, which meets the highest standards, on par with the best schools in the world, and we prepare students to enter the world's best universities," Prabowo stated.
The International Baccalaureate credentials are recognized by more than 2,000 universities globally, covering over 90 percent of institutions where IB students submit applications. Research demonstrates that IB Diploma graduates achieve higher acceptance rates at selective universities, maintain better enrollment records, and perform more strongly during their university studies compared to peers from other curricula.
The government completed construction of four SMA Garuda schools in East Belitung, Bangka Belitung Islands; South Konawe, Southeast Sulawesi; Bulungan, North Kalimantan; and South Central Timor, East Nusa Tenggara. These schools began operations in June 2026, with each accommodating 160 students in the inaugural cohort for a total of 640 students.
According to Prabowo, SMA Garuda targets Indonesian children with exceptional talent and academic ability. Students selected for the program receive comprehensive support, with full scholarships covering education costs, boarding, meals, and laptop and internet data at 100 percent for the 2026/2027 academic year and a minimum of 80 percent coverage in subsequent years.
The government expanded the initiative through the SMA Garuda Transformasi program, which now encompasses 42 schools across 15 provinces, comprising 12 schools established in 2025 and an additional 30 schools in 2026.
The President emphasized that educational fairness requires providing support matched to individual needs and abilities rather than identical treatment for all students.
"Fairness does not mean that the state gives everyone the same treatment. Fairness means that the state provides support according to people's needs," Prabowo explained.
Expanding international opportunities
The government is broadening access to international higher education for Indonesian students. The Garuda Scholarship, administered by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology in collaboration with the Indonesia Endowment Fund for Education, sent 416 undergraduate students to leading universities abroad in 2025, increasing to 515 in 2026. The program targets grade 12 students for fully funded undergraduate study overseas.
Scholarship recipients commit to contributing to Indonesia for at least twice the duration of their study period, with the specific form of contribution to be determined by the Directorate General of Science and Technology.
International recognition of the Garuda Schools initiative extends beyond student scholarships. At the 2025 Annual Leaders' Meeting, Australia and Indonesia announced the Australia Awards Garuda Scholarships, supporting Indonesian educators from Sekolah Garuda Transformasi to pursue Master's degrees in education at Australian universities beginning in 2027.
Improving domestic universities
The President reported continuing improvements in the quality of Indonesian higher education institutions. Seven Indonesian state universities entered the ranks of the world's top 500 universities this year.
Universitas Indonesia achieved the most significant advancement, improving from 206th position in 2025 to 189th in the QS World University Rankings 2026, becoming the only Indonesian university to enter the top 200 globally. Universitas Gadjah Mada, Institut Teknologi Bandung, and Universitas Airlangga ranked among the world's top 300 universities, while IPB University, Universitas Padjadjaran, and Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember placed among the top 500.
"I believe these will be further improved in the years ahead," Prabowo stated.