Military joins education expo to attract potential recruits
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The crowd at the Istora Senayan, a sports hall that occasionally is used as an exhibition center in South Jakarta, appeared somewhat unconventional on Tuesday as high school students, university representatives and soldiers all freely mingled.
Three separate 20-square-meter booths were occupied by the Navy, the Army and the Air Force, all displaying military hardware and posters showing the joys of life in a military academy.
"We feel that by participating in this kind of event, we can introduce ourselves to a wider audience," Navy head of education and training, Commodore Sewoko Kartanegara told The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of the three-day exhibition that started on Apr. 25.
The Navy, taking part in the expo for the second year running, appeared to have little desire, however, to entice potential recruits to its Naval Academy.
"This is merely to increase public awareness of the Naval Academy," Sewoko said.
Even so, on the first day of the exhibition at least 40 youngsters enrolled to study at the academy.
"We have no problem with the number of people enrolling," Sewoko said. "What we are concerned about is that generally the recruits are of low quality."
The Navy recruits an average of 200 high school graduates every year to be trained at the academy, as well as 1,800 non- commissioned officer trainees and enlisted men, who are then posted throughout the country.
The Army and Air Force, which are participating in the expo for the first time this year, seemed to be facing similar problems.
"It is difficult to find quality recruits because most of youngsters these days do not view a military career as rewarding as some other sectors," Air Force recruitment head Commodore Sudjadijono said.
He added that the Air Force hoped that by participating in such an exhibition, it would encourage young Indonesians to serve in the country's armed forces, despite the admittedly low financial rewards.
The military effort appeared to be paying off as most of the 1,700 people who visited the exhibition took a couple of minutes or more to view the military displays.
However, getting them to actually join the military might not be so easy. "I find the military booths interesting," said third grade student Arfian, from Senior High School No. 1 in Central Jakarta. "But joining the Army ... well, that's another story."
"I would prefer to go to a regular university, like one of those," Arfian said, pointing to nearby booths occupied by private educational institutes in Jakarta.
Private universities such as Bina Nusantara, Atmajaya, Trisakti and Paramadina, as well as polytechnics, like the Indonesian Institute of Technology (ITI) and the National Science and Technology Institute (ISTN), occupy 54 other booths in the hall.
"We want to provide an exhibition that will give students an array of options," event organizer PT CiptaNuansa Inti director Felisia D. Hafel said.(003)