Preventing Negative Influences, Ministry of Social Affairs Educates Marginalized Children and Teens at Depok Master School

DEPOK (February 26, 2023) - A letter U-shaped building is located right behind Depok bus station, West Java. Its trunk stands out from the other buildings around it.

From outside, the boisterous voices of dozens of elementary to high school students could be heard.

The building which is composed of piles of containers with colorful paint on the outside is the classrooms of the Terminal Mosque School (Master) building in Depok.

Inside it, students are enthusiastically listen to the education given and involved in debriefing activities provided by Ministry of Social Affairs together with Polda Metro Jaya.

"So, this activity at Depok Master School is a form of our (Ministry of Social) synergy with Polda Metro Jaya, particularly, in collaboration with Srikandi Polwan, Directorate of Special Criminal Investigation (Ditreskrimsus)," said Social Recovery and Reintegration Coordinator at the Directorate of Social Protection for Social Disaster Victims and Non-Natural Affairs (PSKBSNA) Ministry of Social Affairs, Rosehan Ansyari, recently.
 
Master School is an alternative school for children of marginalized groups who have difficulty obtaining access to education, such as street children, neglected children, children with disabilities, and children who conflict with the law.

The man who is familiarly called Rehan said that Ministry of Social Affairs provides education and training to children at Master Schools regarding the prevention of bullying and sexual violence against children, to disaster preparedness within the school environment.

"The Psychosocial Support Services (LDP) team from Ministry of Social Affairs provided a kind of ice-breaking, basic knowledge about disaster preparedness in the event of an earthquake and so on. Then, friends from Polda also talked about bullying, sexual violence, and protecting children," he explained.

Education is intended to prevent delinquency among children and teens in the school environment and its surroundings. Understandably, the students at Master School are former street children, buskers, and scavengers.

“We want them to still be able to go to school, like other children in general. Through this education, we hope it prevents them from cases of delinquency children and teens at their age," he said.

Besides providing education, Ministry of Social Affairs also helps with school supplies. "From Ministry of Social Affairs, we help school supplies in the form of bags, including nutritional needs, such as milk, food, and so on," he said.

Muhammad Rijal (11) who was given education and school supplies, expressed his joy. "We get fun materials, bags, books, pencils, pens, and snacks," he said.

This fourth-grade elementary school student admitted that this was the first time officials visited his school. He hopes to be able to participate in similar activities again. “Happy, it's the first time. I’d like to join more if there were (activities) like this," he said.

Setelah Sekolah Master di Depok, kolaborasi Kemensos dan Polwan Polda Metro Jaya ini, rencananya akan dilanjutkan ke beberapa sekolah lainnya di Jakarta dan sekitarnya.

After the Master School in Depok, this collaboration between Ministry of Social Affairs and Polwan Polda Metro Jaya is planned to be continued to several other schools in Jakarta and its surroundings.

Public Relations Bureau
Ministry of Social Affairs RI