Online Learning is Safer for Students and Teachers

Kompas/Heru Sri Kumoro

Fourth-grader Agda Baline Swarahati of SD Santo Antonius of Padua elementary school uses a laptop on Tuesday (9/6/2020) to study physics, sports and health for the final school assessment at her home in Nusa Loka of BSD City, South Tangerang, Banten. The Covid-19 epidemic has forced schools to implement online learning to protect the health and safety of their students and teachers.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The Education and Culture Ministry has decided to begin the 2020/2021 academic calendar in July 2020. However, instruction will be carried out through an online platform to ensure the safety of students and teachers.

The head of the ministry’s public relations department, Evi Mulyani, said the new academic year would begin in the third week of July. However, the commencement of the new calendar year does not mean that schools will resume face-to-face instruction and teaching activities. The method of learning and teaching activities will depend on COVID-19 transmission in the community.

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"Most schools will continue to carry out distance [online learning], as has been done for the past three months. Instruction can be carried through various alternatives, such as through the internet, television stations, radio and many modules that enable students to study independently," Evi said in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Health and the safety students, teachers and parents remain a priority.

Evi said a comprehensive analysis would be needed before the government decided to resume face-to-face learning activities. Health and the safety students, teachers and parents remain a priority.

The chairman of the campaign program of the Save Children Indonesia, Victor Rembeth, said, the participation of all parties was needed to support teaching and learning activities in the new normal era. A number of actions should be taken to support online learning activities. For examples, the adoption of new habits at schools, the supports of parents in online learning, the determination of safe education status as well as the provision of financial support for students and schools.

"Good communication between teachers and parents is needed. In adopting new habits, parents must be able to ensure students adhere to health protocols starting from home, on the way to school and at school,” he said.

Victor said living environments should also support online learning. According to him, there is a stigma in the community when a teacher visits a student’s home although the home visit is carried out to help the student due to the poor internet connection.

About the problems related to the poor internet connection, Evi said the government would reassess its priorities in the allocation of funds to finance COVID-19 mitigation, which would include the fund allocation for education.

Education and Culture Ministerial Regulation No.19/2020 concerning the revision of a regulation on technical guidelines for school operational assistance (BOS) allows flexibility in the use of BOS funds. For an example, the BOS fund can be used to support online learning and teaching activities.

The funds are managed by the school principal, who knows better about the school’s immediate needs.

"So, the BOS funds can be used to buy internet credit or to pay online education services for teachers and students. The funds are managed by the school principal, who knows better about the school’s immediate needs. With this, the online learning can be carried out optimally,” Evi added.

Islamic boarding school

Pesantren (Islamic boarding schools) are also making preparations for the start of the new school year. Although the Education and Culture Ministry has not yet decided the time to resume the face-to-face learning and teaching activities, a number of pesantren have prepared a health protocol for their santri (Islamic boarding school students).

KOMPAS/AGUS SUSANTO

Around 300 students of the East Java Gontor Modern Islamic boarding school take part in the Covid-19 rapid testing program on Sunday (12/4/2020) at Patriot Candrabhaga Stadium in Bekasi, West Java.

The chairman of Lirboyo Islamic boarding school in Kediri, Abdul Muid Shohib said all the school’s students, who were still at home, were asked to carry out their self-quarantine for 14 days. According to him, the students were expected to gradually return to the boarding school starting on June 20.

“Of the 28,000 students, in the first phase, around 2,500 students will return to the boarding school. Their health will be checked and their luggage will be sprayed with liquid disinfectant. They will be then put in isolation for 14 days under strict health protocols.

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The same measures will be taken by Al Falah Ploso Islamic boarding school in Kediri. Hamimi, one of the leaders of the boarding school, said teachers and other personnel would attend training on the use of the health protocols before the return of the school’s students.

The returning students must bring with them a health certificate or undergo a health check to ensure that they are free from COVID-19.