TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesia's human rights organization SETARA Institute has criticized the government's plan to deploy cadets from the Military Academy (Akmil) to assist in the orientation program for the country's new People's School initiative, warning that the policy blurs the line between civilian and military roles.
Hendardi, chair of SETARA Institute's National Council, said the plan reflects what he described as a misguided approach to education.
"This policy reflects a state perspective that increasingly blurs the boundaries between the civilian and military spheres," Hendardi told Tempo on Tuesday, June 30, 2026.
Human Rights Group Warns Against Militarizing Education
According to Hendardi, instead of strengthening civilian institutions to carry out educational functions, the government is once again relying on the military to shape the character of citizens. He said the policy sets a dangerous precedent by suggesting that character building can only be achieved through military institutions.
The People's School program is an affirmative education initiative aimed at children from socially and economically disadvantaged families. Hendardi argued that it should adopt a pedagogical, humanistic, and participatory approach rooted in education, developmental psychology, community empowerment, and social engagement.
"There is no objective need that justifies the involvement of military cadets in this process," he said.
While discipline is an important educational value, Hendardi said it should not be equated with militarism. Likewise, nationalism and patriotism are civic values that are not exclusive to the military.
He argued that in a democratic country, military professionalism should be measured by its ability to fulfill its defense mandate rather than by the breadth of its involvement in civilian affairs.
According to Hendardi, the concern is not the capability of the cadets themselves but the government's continued expansion of the military's role into areas beyond its constitutional mandate. Such policies, he warned, could gradually normalize the perception that civilian problems require military solutions.
He added that strengthening students' character should remain the responsibility of professional civilian educators using approaches that uphold human dignity, critical thinking, and democratic values. Instead of relying on the military, he said, the government should invest in teachers, lecturers, psychologists, social workers, and other education professionals.
Government Says Cadets Will Only Assist During Orientation
Social Affairs Minister Saifullah Yusuf, popularly known as Gus Ipul, said the deployment of Military Academy cadets was ordered by President Prabowo Subianto, as the People's School program is one of the administration's priority initiatives.
The Ministry of Social Affairs first requested assistance from the Ministry of Defense before the deployment was approved, he said.
Around 1,000 Military Academy cadets will be deployed during the orientation period from August 1 to 7, 2026. At least five cadets will be assigned to each of the approximately 166 People's Schools scheduled to open in the 2026/2027 academic year.
Gus Ipul emphasized that the cadets' role will be limited to the one-week orientation program and that they will not participate in classroom instruction afterward.
"This is only for one week of orientation, nothing more," he said.
Read: What Does Prabowo Mean by 'Academic Freedom' on Campus?
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