Military-run school only takes the best

Military-run school only takes the best

By Ridwan M. Sijabat

JAKARTA (JP): The military-run Taruna Nusantara senior high school in Magelang, Central Java, begins its recruitment selection process much earlier than most other schools.

It's only January, but it has already started the process, hoping to enroll 245 of the best youths in the country for the new academic year which doesn't begin until July.

The boys-only boarding school, jointly managed by the Armed Forces (ABRI) and Taman Siswa, the nation's oldest and most established education foundation, has become the envy of parents looking to find a school with high academic excellence and a sterling reputation. One of the main drawing points is the fact that tuition is free, paid for by the foundation that owns the school.

The best education in the country for free? What more could parents ask for?

Founded in 1989, Taruna Nusantara each year receives thousands of applications from enthusiastic youths in all parts of the country. But it only has 245 seats each year. That's why it can afford to be choosy, and insists on only the very best.

Rear Admiral Wahyono, chairman of the Taman Taruna Nusantara Education Foundation, which administers the school, was modest about the reputation his institution has earned, knowing full well that the idea has now been copied by others. He was more concerned about the mission of the school.

"We're not claiming to be the best. But the school has produced talented young men with potential to be groomed to become national leaders in the future," Wahyono said.

Wahyono and Taruna Nusantara headmaster Sudani A. were in Jakarta this week to launch the registration process.

Applications for admission are now available in military district offices throughout Indonesia. These offices will further screen applicants and are expected to forward 3,000 potential entries to the school.

These 3,000 will be invited to take an admission test in Magelang. From here, the school hopes to cut the list down to 300. And after the final test, only 245 will be selected.

Taruna Nusantara was the brainchild of Gen. (ret.) L.B. Moerdani, when he was Armed Forces chief in 1983-1988. He sought to establish a high school that combined the academic excellence of Taman Siswa and strong military discipline.

The school receives its funding from the Kejuangan Panglima Soedirman Foundation. It spends around Rp 3 billion ($1.3 million) each year. Wahyono estimates that the school pays about Rp 4.5 million for each student yearly.

The school has produced two groups of graduates, in 1993 and 1994, each time with 245 students, meaning that all of the people recruited stayed through the three year's of rigorous education and training. And it seems to have paid off for all of them.

Wahyono said the graduates had either gone on to the nation's top and favorite universities, or joined the military academy.

Most actually wanted to go to the military academy, forcing the school to limit the number to not more than 40 percent of the graduates. After all, the school was established with the intention of producing both civilian and military leaders, he said.

Taruna Nusantara recently sent out questionnaires to the universities and academies where its graduates are pursuing their studies to ask about their performance. The result was encouraging: most are at the top of their classes.

"We've had university administrators coming to our school to study the curriculum and the system," Wahyono said.

The success story of Taruna Nusantara has also encouraged the establishment of schools in other parts of Indonesia run along the same principles. Most are sponsored by provincial administrations. North Sumatra, East Java, North Sulawesi, West Sumatra and Irian Jaya have started similar schools, or are in the preparation process. Most have problems in raising the necessary funds.

What makes Taruna Nusantara distinct from other high schools is the rigid military discipline instilled in its students. Student brawls, which give many senior high schools in Jakarta a bad name, are virtually unheard of at Taruna Nusantara.

"There have been two or three brawls here. We simply expelled the brawlers from school," Wahyono said.

In addition to the national school curriculum, students at Taruna Nusantara are taught and trained in discipline, leadership and state defense, he said.

And students hardly have any leisure time. The school has filled their schedules between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m. with classes and extra-curricular activities. There are no excuses for not attending the activities and those who violate this rule receive disciplinary action.

Only time will tell whether Taruna Nusantara is really churning out the nation's future leaders.

At least, as Wahyono pointed out, his school has equipped the students with the basic requirements -- leadership quality, strong personality and strict discipline.

"It is too early now to make a prediction, but we are sure that the school's graduates have great potential to be our national leaders in the future," he said.