Police Bill maintains minimum high school graduation requirement for officers
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Draft Law (RUU) on the Amendment to Law Number 2 of 2002 concerning the National Police (Polri) maintains the regulation that the minimum requirement to become a police officer is a high school (SMA) graduation. This policy was finalised during a meeting of the Working Committee (Panja) for the Police Bill, held by Commission III of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) with the government at the DPR RI Building, Jakarta, on Monday.
Deputy Minister of Law, Edward Omar Sharif Hiariej, stated that the proposed Article 21, paragraph (1), point d, reads: “To be appointed as a member of the National Police, a candidate must meet the requirements of having at least a high school education or its equivalent.”
In addition to the minimum high school diploma, there are eight other requirements to become a police officer: being an Indonesian citizen, being faithful and devoted to God Almighty, and being loyal to the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia based on Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia. Furthermore, candidates must be at least 18 years old, physically and mentally healthy, never have been sentenced to prison, be honest, fair, and of good conduct, and pass the police formation education and training organised by the National Police.
The Bill also agrees that Indonesian citizens with disabilities may be appointed as members of the National Police, provided they possess the necessary competencies.
A member of Commission III of the DPR RI, Hinca Pandjaitan, questioned the basis for maintaining the high school graduation requirement. He highlighted the ongoing public discourse regarding increasing the minimum requirement to a bachelor’s degree (S-1). “There is a desire for higher education for our colleagues in the police force, as there are many excellent educational programmes available at the minimum S-1 level. Is there an explanation from the government as to why the minimum remains high school or its equivalent?” Hinca asked.
The Head of the National Police Legal Division, Inspector General Agus Nugroho, explained that the requirement is maintained based on the results of internal analysis and evaluation by the National Police for the formation of non-commissioned officers (bintara). However, Agus noted that the minimum bachelor’s degree requirement is still accommodated through the Police Inspector School for University Graduates (SIPSS) for the formation of commissioned officers (perwira). “There are indeed different educational tracks. That is why we use the term ‘formation’—the formation of non-commissioned officers and the formation of officers. One track originates from high school, while the other originates from university graduates,” Agus explained.