Ahmad Fikri (Kontributor), Bandung – West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi has confirmed that his administration has allocated Rp6 billion to fund a program that sends troubled youths to military barracks for character education.
He made the statement during an interview with reporters after attending the First National Meeting of the Association of Provincial Councils of Indonesia (ADPSI) and the Association of Provincial Council Secretariats (Asdepsi) at Gedung Sate, Bandung, on Monday, May 5.
"That amount is a reserve. We do not yet know how much of it will be used, but it has been set aside in case there is a significant surge [in participants]. We will later calculate the daily cost per person," he said, as quoted from a video shared by the West Java Public Relations Office.
The budget will cover costs including uniforms, meals, and instructor fees for the program. According to Dedi, hundreds of students have already been enrolled.
Junior high school (SMP) students are placed at barracks run by the Sthira Yudha/Kostrad Regiment 1, while high school (SMA) students are trained at the Rindam III/Siliwangi facility. Dedi claimed many of the participants have shown improvement, with growing interest from parents wanting their children enrolled.
"In Purwakarta, we have 39 junior high students, and in Rindam, 279 high school students. Our initial target is 350 participants, but we plan to expand the facilities to accommodate 500. There have been thousands of requests from parents asking us to help instill discipline in their children," he said.
Dedi said that the students will only be placed in the military facilities for a few weeks. After that, they will continue their education in special schools within their respective regencies or cities. "They will return to special schools, with dedicated teachers and guidance from TNI personnel to maintain the discipline built during trainings," he explained.
He said the concept of these special schools is still being finalized. "We are still working on the model – whether to use dormitories, partner with a foundation, or designate existing schools. The idea is for students to remain in a camp-like environment, similar to the football training camps once run for junior and senior high school students," he said.
Dedi welcomed public debate over the program, inviting critics to visit the military barracks in person. "I invite Commission X, the Child Protection Commission (KPAI), and the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) to come see for themselves," he said.
Separately, Bandung Mayor Muhammad Farhan visited the Rindam III/Siliwangi facility in Cikole, West Bandung Regency, where the program is being implemented for senior high school (SMA) and vocational school (SMK) students from Bandung.
"This morning, the character education program at military barracks was officially launched for Bandung high schoolers. The Bandung City Government fully supports it," he said in a Monday press release.
Fifty high school students from Bandung are taking part in the two-week program at Rindam III/Siliwangi in Cikole, Lembang. Farhan said the city administration will also monitor its implementation. "This program is designed to foster discipline and positive character traits, especially among students with records of infractions such as drug use, fighting, and other issues," he added.