'Military course' for students ends

'Military course' for students ends

JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta Military Chief Maj. Gen Sutiyoso
officially closed yesterday a 10-day discipline and self
improvement program for student delinquents.

Responding to wishes of some parents of the youths that the
course should be prolonged, Sutiyoso said 10 days were enough to
considerably improve the participants' behavior.

The course, which took place at the military headquarters in
East Jakarta, ended on Wednesday.

The two-star general went on to say that the success of such a
program does not depend on its duration, but its effectiveness in
exhorting the youths to change their behavior.

A total of 310 juvenile delinquents from Jakarta took part in
the program organized by various offices and the School of
Psychology of University of Indonesia.

The program aims to help improve the behavior of juvenile
delinquents among high school and technical high school students
by instilling a high degree of military discipline in the
students.

Juvenile delinquency, which has been a problem in Jakarta for
some time now, has reached an alarming level of late. According
to police records, between January and April this year some 13
students were killed in brawls.

Sutiyoso expressed the hope that participants of the program
would become role models and influence friends to help maintain
order and discipline at school. (25)