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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Culture & Society

Indonesia’s 2026 Madrasah Olympiad Draws More Than 230,000 Students

From Republika · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • The 2026 Indonesian Madrasah Olympiad recorded 230,123 applicants, up 12.7 percent from 2025, with 229,593 passing verification.
  • Participation by students from general schools rose 38.1 percent to 13,271, indicating broader involvement beyond madrasahs.
  • Students from all 34 provinces and more than 33,000 educational institutions took part, according to the registration data.

The Indonesian Madrasah Olympiad has drawn 230,123 students in 2026, making this year’s competition more competitive as participation jumped 12.7 percent from 2025, when 204,222 students registered.

Of this year’s applicants, 229,593, or 99.8 percent, passed verification. That figure also increased from last year, when 202,117 participants were verified.

The increase in participation is certainly good news for madrasah education and Indonesian education as a whole. More participants means more of the nation's potential and talent can be identified and given room to develop.

· Amin SuyitnoCommenting on the increase in registrations for the 2026 olympiad.

Amin Suyitno, director general of Islamic education at Indonesia’s Ministry of Religious Affairs, said the rise showed stronger student interest in opportunities to develop talent, competence and achievement. He said the olympiad should not be viewed only as a contest for selecting winners, but as part of a continuing system for nurturing student achievement.

“Competition is one entry point. What matters more is finding children with potential and providing the right guidance so that their potential develops into achievement,” Amin said.

Competition is one entry point. What matters more is finding children with potential and providing the right guidance so that their potential develops into achievement.

· Amin SuyitnoDescribing the olympiad as part of a broader student-development system.

One of the most notable changes came from general schools. A total of 13,271 elementary, junior high and senior high school students from outside the madrasah system joined the 2026 olympiad, up from 9,612 in 2025. That represents an increase of 3,659 students, or 38.1 percent.

Nyayu Khodijah, director of madrasah curriculum, facilities, institutions and student affairs, said the increase showed that the event was becoming more open and inclusive. Students from all 34 provinces participated, while registration data showed involvement from more than 33,000 educational institutions.

OMI continues to develop as an inclusive competition space. Participants come not only from madrasahs but also from general schools.

· Nyayu KhodijahExplaining the rise in participation from general schools.
About this summary

Originally published by Republika in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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