BANGKA -- A mix of pride and emotion filled the air during the handover ceremony for new students of PT Timah’s Pemali Boarding School Program for the 2025/2026 academic year (24th cohort), held at the Cassiterite Learning Center Building in Pemali, Bangka Regency, on Monday, July 7, 2025.
In a symbolic gesture, parents officially entrusted their children—who will study at SMAN 1 Pemali and live in PT Timah’s Pemali Dormitory for the next three years to begin their educational journey.
This ceremony marked the start of a new chapter for 36 students who successfully passed the rigorous selection process of the Pemali Boarding School program. The selection included administrative screening, field surveys, academic potential tests, psychological tests, interviews, clinical psychological analysis, document validation, and medical examinations.
The Pemali Boarding School is part of PT Timah’s Social and Environmental Responsibility (TJSL) program, which has been running since 2000. In addition to providing full scholarships, the program adopts a boarding school system to instill strong character, discipline, and leadership skills in students from an early age.
One parent, Nia Sari, expressed her pride in her daughter, Rindu Rifani, who earned a scholarship to the Pemali Boarding School.
“I’m incredibly proud of Rindu. From the start, she was determined to pass the selection process. I feel a mix of pride, emotion, and sadness, knowing my youngest child will be far from home here on Bangka Island to pursue her studies,” said Nia, a resident of Tanjungpandan, Belitung.
The Acting Head of the Regional Education Office for Zone II of the Bangka Belitung Islands Province, Heru praised PT Timah’s consistency and commitment to supporting education in the region.
“The Pemali Boarding School program has been running for many years. This shows PT Timah’s long-standing commitment to education by providing scholarships for high-achieving students from underprivileged backgrounds,” he said.
The event was also attended by the Division Head of CSR at PT Timah, the Principal of SMAN 1 Pemali, the Acting Head of the Regional Education Office for Zone II of the Bangka Belitung Islands, Pemali Boarding School administrators, and parents or guardians of the 2025/2026 students.
PT Timah hopes this program will continue to nurture young generations who are not only academically accomplished but also possess strong character and the ability to contribute to regional and national development.
