1,147 UPI Students Ready to Teach in Hundreds of West Java Schools

The West Java Provincial Government, together with the Indonesia University of Education (UPI), has dispatched 1,147 students to participate in the Professional Strengthening Programme for Education (Probidik) Gema Jabar. Through this programme, the students will undergo six months of teaching practice, equivalent to 20 credit units, in 364 senior high schools, vocational high schools, and special needs schools across various regions of West Java. In detail, the students will be placed in 230 senior high schools, 116 vocational high schools, and 18 special needs schools. During their assignment, they will be accompanied by supervising lecturers from UPI and mentor teachers from each school. The Probidik Gema Jabar programme is designed to help address the shortage of teaching staff in West Java. West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi expressed his support for the collaborative programme between the West Java Provincial Government and UPI. According to Dedi, this programme is an opportunity for students not only to apply the knowledge gained in lectures but also to gain direct teaching experience, especially in schools located in rural areas. “This is an opportunity for you students over six months to pursue a learning programme while also learning directly. Because when teaching, it is not only academic expertise that is practised, but also to cultivate a sense of care when teaching your pupils,” said Dedi Mulyadi in a written statement on Monday (20/7/2026). Dedi also encouraged the students to become more familiar with the overall conditions of West Java, not just urban areas. “You must know West Java, not just the city of Bandung. West Java is vast, so you know that those who need educating are also in rural areas and villages,” he stressed. The man familiarly known as KDM advised the students who will become teachers not to hesitate to return and serve in the schools where they once taught, including if assigned to remote areas. One of the programme participants, Andika Darmawan from the UPI Mechanical Engineering Education Study Programme, admitted he was enthusiastic about joining Probidik Gema Jabar because it aligns with his ambition to become a teacher. “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. A similar sentiment was shared by UPI student Regina, who hopes the programme can run smoothly and serve as valuable preparation before entering the teaching profession. “I hope the activities go well and smoothly. This certainly greatly helps the education programme in West Java,” said Regina, who was assigned to SMK 28 Bandung. Meanwhile, Head of the West Java Education Office Purwanto stated that Probidik Gema Jabar is a manifestation of the commitment of UPI and the West Java Provincial Government to present a university that provides a real impact for the community. He hopes this programme can help create a more optimal teaching and learning process, fulfil students’ right to learn, while giving university students the opportunity to practise the knowledge they have acquired on campus.