Students standing at the ready on May 5, 2025, in a military barracks while undergoing intensive character and discipline training at a military education centre in West Bandung regency, West Java. - Antara This article was published in thejakartapost.com with the title "". Click to read: https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2025/05/15/west-java-to-also-send-unruly-adults-to-military-barracks.html. Download The Jakarta Post app for easier and faster news access: Android: http://bit.ly/tjp-android iOS: http://bit.ly/tjp-ios
JAKARTA: The West Java administration has unveiled a controversial plan to send "unruly adults" to military barracks for character education training, expanding a programme that was originally aimed at addressing student delinquency.
West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi announced that the initiative will begin in June and will target individuals who “disrupt public order,” such as drunkards, street thugs, extortionists and those that undermine the region’s investment climate.
“Those who commit criminal acts will be prosecuted accordingly, while those who have not broken the law will be sent to military barracks to undergo character education,” Dedi said in a recent statement, as quoted by Kompas.
To help mitigate the economic impact on participants' families, Governor Dedi Mulyadi stated that during the programme, participants will be assigned jobs as construction workers, farmers, porters or tree planters.
The West Java administration will compensate them for their work, with the payments sent directly to their families. Sapta Yulianto Dasuki, Secretary of the West Java Office of National and Political Unity (Kesbangpol), said the administration was currently preparing the necessary facilities to organise the programme.
“We're preparing everything, including compiling a list of potential participants,” he said.
Since May 2, several local administrations in West Java— including Bandung City and Purwakarta Regency — have begun using regional military posts to run month-long intensive character training programmes for students deemed “difficult to discipline,” engaged in “risky behaviours” or those suspected of being involved in criminal activities.
Participation requires parental consent and as of Wednesday (May 14), at least 274 students in West Java had joined the programme.
Dedi said the training aims to improve students’ discipline and sense of responsibility while helping them break harmful habits such as phone addiction, underage drinking, drug abuse and the use of other addictive substances.
According to Dedi, during the training programme, students wake up at 4am to pray, clean their rooms and listen to religious sermons according to their respective faiths. They then exercise, have breakfast and attend classes similar to their regular school routine.
After lunch, they engage in another round of physical exercise, followed by religious studies. Dinner is served in the evening, and students are expected to go to bed before 10pm.
Dedi stated that the strict schedule has helped instill discipline in the students, many of whom previously stayed up until 4am playing online games and frequently skipped school. Some were also involved in violent street brawls and the use of illegal drugs.
The controversial training programme has received widespread support on social media, with many parents praising the initiative for its potential to instill discipline in their children and other students.
However, critics have questioned the necessity of involving the military in education, as well as the legal basis of the programme itself.
National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) chair Atnike Nova Sigiro called for Dedi to reevaluate the programme, asserting that the Indonesian Military (TNI) has no authority to perform civil education.
“It’s necessary to see which institution has the authority to educate children involved in brawls or other behaviours considered not to be aligned with the law or with social norms,” Atnike said on Monday, adding that local administrations’ social services could be a better alternative.
She argued that authorities should address juvenile delinquency at its roots, focusing on solutions within the children's families and social environments.
Education experts echoed her concerns, questioning the effectiveness of a six-month militaristic programme in creating lasting change in students' characters, especially since they will return to the same environment once they leave the barracks.
Despite the criticism, the government has praised the programme and announced that it is considering implementing the initiative nationwide. - The Jakarta Post/ANN
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