Presidential Staff Office: Boarding School System at 'Sekolah Rakyat' Builds Student Character
Bandung (ANTARA) - The Presidential Staff Office (KSP) considers the boarding school education system at Sekolah Rakyat (People’s Schools) to be one of the government’s instruments for building the character, independence and discipline of pupils from an early age.
Head of the Presidential Staff Office, retired Army General Prof. Dudung Abdurachman, speaking in Bandung Regency, West Java, on Wednesday, said the education system would ensure that pupils’ nutritional needs and character formation were properly attended to.
“Now children are being guided at Sekolah Rakyat. Here, their nutrition is met and their mentality is developed. Their attitudes and behaviour are also shaped. This is very good for parents because their children are being nurtured here,” he said.
According to him, the boarding school education concept is not only oriented towards academic achievement, but also equips pupils with habits of independent living through the strengthening of character, discipline, responsibility and the ability to adapt to daily life.
Dudung said the mentoring process is reinforced through the involvement of more senior students to accompany new pupils, helping them adjust more quickly to the school environment whilst fostering a culture of mutual assistance.
“Later on, the older children, the senior and junior high school students, will guide their younger schoolmates. These new arrivals will be mentored by their seniors,” he said.
He added that independent living habits are applied across various daily activities in the boarding environment, from maintaining cleanliness and managing personal needs to taking responsibility for the equipment used during their education.
“After meals, they will wash up themselves. The mental training here is truly beneficial. This is an extraordinary programme from President Prabowo,” he said.
According to Dudung, the character education applied through the boarding system is expected to shape a generation that is not only academically excellent, but also possesses sound mentality, ethics and social awareness as preparation for the future.
He expressed hope that Sekolah Rakyat can become an education model that produces high-quality, well-rounded and independent human resources, whilst supporting the government’s efforts to improve the quality of Indonesia’s younger generation through equitable access to education.