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West Java to send 'delinquent' students to military camps
Both the regency and provincial administrations will fund the program, which will target students who "are difficult to discipline", engage in "risky behaviors" or are suspected of being involved in criminal activities.
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West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi smiles on Feb. 20, 2025, after attending the inauguration ceremony for regional heads and their deputies at the Presidential Palace complex in Jakarta. He was one of 961 governors, mayors, regents and their deputies simultaneously sworn in by President Prabowo Subianto in the Feb. 20 ceremony. (Antara/Aditya Pradana Putra)
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est Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi has unveiled a controversial plan to send "delinquent" students from across the province to military barracks for a six-month training program aimed at instilling "discipline and responsibility" through intensive character education.
Dedi said the program will be rolled out in stages starting on May 2 and the Indonesian Military (TNI) has prepared some 30 to 40 barracks to support the initiative.
"It doesn’t need to be implemented across all 27 regencies and cities in West Java right away. We’re starting with the regions that are most vulnerable and ready for the program, and will expand gradually from there," Dedi explained over the weekend, as reported by Kompas.
Both the regency and provincial administrations will fund the program, which will target students who "are difficult to discipline", engage in "risky behaviors" or are suspected of being involved in criminal activities.
Dedi also mentioned that military personnel will go directly to the students' homes to pick them up, and during the six-month training, the students will be exempt from formal schooling.
"We hope this character education program will help reform the behavior of these [troubled] students and improve their discipline and responsibility," Dedi said. He added that authorities will seek permission from both the students’ schools and their parents before enrolling them in the training.
Lalu Harian Irfany, Deputy Chair of House of Representatives Commission X overseeing education, culture and youth, expressed that the six-month military camp should be implemented without compromising students' right to receive a formal education.
