West Java Governor Confident Sending Children to Military Barracks Will Solve Juvenile Delinquency

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi is confident that sending troubled children to military barracks is a viable solution to address juvenile delinquency, citing a one-hundred percent success rate of the policy.

"I'm highly confident that the success rate could reach 100 percent. It's better to have faith and implement (the program) rather than to neglect (the children)," said Dedi after meeting with Minister of Human Rights Natalius Pigai in Jakarta on Thursday, May 8, 2025.

Dedi stated that his confidence is not merely an assumption but is based on the experience he has gathered since serving as the regent of Purwakarta. "I have often traveled around. Understanding, then handling children with special behaviors," he said.

While serving as regent, Dedi recounted encountering a child who had a habit of stealing. In an attempt to discipline the child, Dedi then sent the child to a boarding school, an effort that Dedi said was proven unsuccessful. "Even though the boarding school was guarded, the child ran to the roof, dismantled it, and jumped over the fence," said Dedi. "So, dealing with troublesome children is no easy feat," he said.

Dedi has been sending students to the military barracks since May 1, at two locations in Bandung and Purwakarta. Dedi collaborated with the Army to implement this program.

Dedi mentioned that the children will only stay at the barracks for a few weeks. The plan is that, after, the children will be placed in special schools in each district/city. "Special classes with special teachers and guided by military members to maintain their discipline," he said.

He admitted that he is still formulating the form of the special schools he referred to. He said that the children will still receive education according to their level in these special schools.

Meanwhile, students who are eligible for the program include: 

1. Children who are frequently involved in brawls, both in school and outside of school.

2. Children who are known to consume alcohol or engage in drunken behavior.

3. Children who often play online games such as Mobile Legends and stay up late, making it difficult to wake up in the morning and being too lazy to go to school.

4. Children who behave defiantly towards their parents, including those who are rude or even threaten their family at home.

5. Children who often create chaos in school and disrupt the learning process.

6. Children who frequently skip school without valid reasons, including leaving home but not attending school.

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