Welcome to the land of creative solutions: naughty kids should be sent to military boot camp! You know, I really think that 50 push-ups and some patriotic chat is the best way to deal with juvenile delinquency.
Operation Militarisation of Adolescent Mischief
If you thought standing under the flagpole or sweeping the school grounds was the worst punishment you ever got, think again. You were lucky to be in a school in West Java in 2025. Here in the province of Dedi Mulyadi, kids who have been naughty now have the chance to experience what it’s like to be a real soldier, including saying “ready, grak!” and waking up in the middle of the night.
At the start of May 2025, 69 ‘troublemaking’ high school students will be sent to the TNI barracks, with a particular focus on the Armed Kostrad Battalion. Dedi Mulyadi, governor of West Java, has come up with this program. He reckons that the proper solution to kids who are hooked on Mobile Legends is “sending them to the military camps”. At the end of the day, bellowing orders at a group of soldiers is bound to have a greater impact than trying to teach them a lesson or using psychological tactics.
“Mobile Legend? Better to become Legend in military barracks!” was probably on the governor’s mind when he started this programme. It’s not about dealing with the underlying issues like the pressure from academia, bullying or family problems, it’s just about taking a quick “shortcut” to the military track. Brilliant!
Military Discipline or Children’s Rights: This Age’s Battle
Colonel Roni Junaidi says he’s ready to help kids involved in motorbike gangs, but education experts and child rights activists aren’t so sure. So, they’re saying that this approach might not be the best, because it doesn’t seem to take into account the basics of how kids should be taught.
Komnas HAM even turned Dedi Mulyadi’s idea down straight away, saying that the TNI isn’t the one to deal with these problems, and that they should be handled by the education and child protection systems instead. It looks like it’s thinking, “So has the TBI changed the task today into the Rehabilitated Centre of Minors?”
Meanwhile, Abdul Muti Minister of primary and secondary education didn’t say much when asked about the policy. You could also say that: “I’m not sure why, but I don’t think it’s a good idea to add fuel to the fire.”
Reality show Survivor: Barracks Military Edition
Dedi Mulyadi said that students are all “happy” when they’re delivered to military barracks. Obviously, everyone loves getting up at some ungodly hour, running around a field and pushing through some pretty tough physical training. I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s better than spending time in shopping malls or playing computer games online, right?
A Forgotten Alternative Approach
Interestingly, Pramono governor of Jakarta had his own way of dealing with misbehaving students, which was miles away from military ideas. Maybe we should call this method humanistic and target the root? But who’d want to hear about such a boring method when we could watch little guys training to crawl through mud while being screamed at by the commander?
Tirto talks about a bunch of mental health issues that have popped up because of the Dedi Mulyadi-style barrack education, and, spoiler alert, not all of them are good. But it turns out that scaring people into submission is a lot more effective than trying to educate and counsel them. Who’s got time for that long process anyway?
The Media Spotlight: Cheerful Faces vs Worrying Faces of Experts
While the media‘s out there smiling as mothers send their kids to the barracks where they’ll be learning to educate and campaign for children’s rights, the educationists and activists are still voicing their concerns. Even the Commission on Human Rights told President Prabowo to stop this in the end, because they said the Army isn’t in charge of civil education.
But surely, Governor West Java would be firm that sending “students” to military bases would improve discipline. Maybe after this, we could think about replacing all schools with military camps across the nation. I don’t even want to think about what’ll happen when the next generation is disillusioned! All the teenage Indonesians in the class line up to shout “Ready, geass!” whenever their teacher comes into the room. It’s a great vision!
But guess what? Apparently, one student has been reported to run away from this so-called “happiness” program! It’s strange, isn’t it, when they say they’re happy. People who’ve been watching these programmes for a while are quick to point out the possible psychological and emotional risks to children involved. But who really cares about children’s mental health, as long as they can be made to march and salute the flag in an orderly manner, right?
Dedi also said that the kids were finding it hard to sleep when they first went to the barracks. Wow, what a surprise! I mean, who would have thought that a teenager would have trouble sleeping when suddenly entering a strange, stressful environment far from home? It’s a real mystery!
The bottom line: Trying to find a way out of the maze of educational militarization
Educational observers say that military-style education could be harmful to students’ mental health. Maybe it’s time to ask ourselves: Does the military’s presence really benefit the children, or is it just for show to keep the public happy?
Let’s be real here: Kids in military barracks are a great photo op. There’s even the potential for some funny publicity shots as teachers are forced into awkward positions. It’s hard to see how a single press release could have a bigger impact than investing in training “guidance and counseling” teachers, revamping the curriculum, or enhancing the psychological support systems in schools. It’s only with a bit of imagination that you might guess that not all solutions are created equal.
As the 69 “naughty” students from West Java do push-ups in the hot sun and scream “Long live Indonesia!” every day, is it time for us to think: Are we really concerned about their future, or are we just looking for quick solutions that look good on the Instagram stories of some important people?
Because, at the end of the day, you can’t just “pump them up with wooden guns and endless push-ups” to solve teenage misconduct. What’s needed is to listen, understand, and genuinely support them through this tough stage called “puberty.”
But honestly, who are we to talk? We’re just regular folks, not some brilliant bunch like “Child Boot Camp.” At least we can relax knowing that during our school days, the worst punishment we got was a tug on the ear or a few laps around the school grounds, and not a military boot camp.