1,147 Students Join Probidik Gema Jabar, Ready to Support School Learning

A total of 1,147 students from the Indonesia University of Education (UPI) are participating in the Professional Strengthening in Education (Probidik) Gema Jabar programme. Through this programme, the students will undertake teaching practice in 364 educational units comprising senior high schools (SMA), vocational schools (SMK), and special needs schools (SLB), with a breakdown of 230 SMAs, 116 SMKs, and 18 SLBs. The activity will last for six months or 20 credit hours. During their assignment, the students will be accompanied by supervising lecturers from UPI and mentor teachers at each school. The Probidik programme is designed to strengthen the competencies of prospective teachers while helping to address the shortage of educators in West Java. The effort received full support from West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi. According to him, Probidik Gema Jabar is an opportunity for students to hone their teaching skills while making a real contribution to education, especially in rural areas. ‘This is an opportunity for you students to pursue a learning programme for six months while learning directly. Because when teaching, it is not only academic expertise that is practised, but also cultivating a sense of care when teaching your students,’ he said during the send-off of the students at Ki Hajar Dewantara Hall, West Java Education Office, Bandung City, on Monday, 13 July 2026. Additionally, Kang Dedi Mulyadi (KDM), as he is affectionately known, reminded the students to have a broader perspective regarding the West Java region. ‘You must know West Java, not just the city of Bandung. West Java is vast, so you must understand that those who need to be educated are also in rural areas and villages,’ he stressed. One participant, Andika Darmawan, a UPI student from the Mechanical Engineering Education department, admitted he was very happy to be part of this programme. ‘The programme is very good for us, very helpful. Moreover, many teachers will retire in the future, and I am ready to continue as their replacement,’ he said. Another UPI student, Regina, hopes the programme runs smoothly and becomes a valuable experience before she enters the teaching profession. ‘I hope the activities go well and smoothly. This certainly greatly helps the education programme in West Java,’ said the student assigned to SMK 28, Bandung. Head of the West Java Education Office, Purwanto, stated that this programme is a manifestation of the commitment of UPI and the West Java Provincial Government to realising a high-impact university in West Java. He expressed his gratitude to UPI for implementing the Probidik programme. Purwanto hopes that the results of this activity will enable the implementation of teaching and learning activities to run ideally, ensure students’ learning rights are properly fulfilled, and allow university students to engage in direct learning and practise the theories they have studied on campus.