Indonesia to send troublesome students to military barracks: minister

JAKARTA: Indonesian teenage students who skip class or play too many video games could land themselves in military bootcamp if a disciplinary pilot project rolled out in one province this month proves successful, a government minister told AFP on Friday.

More than 270 teenage students in West Java deemed troublesome have been shipped to military barracks under a scheme launched this month by the governor, local media reported. Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai praised the project and has thrown his support behind rolling out the programme nationwide.

He reiterated his support for expanding the programme across the country to AFP on Friday. “If it is successful from a human rights perspective ... meaning education is taking place properly and correctly as well as good improvements in mental capacity, competence, discipline and responsibility, then it can be done nationwide,” he said.

The programme aimed to encourage a lifestyle change for students in the province, said governor Dedi Mulyadi on Thursday after observing that many stay up late playing video games, skip school or have been involved in altercations.

He explained that the military´s involvement in the programme was because of its experience in building character, adding that the students were still receiving their education while staying at the barracks.