Reopening Schools to Depend on Covid-19 Task Force

Kompas/Priyombodo

SD Negeri Petukangan Selatan 03/05 state elementary school in Pesanggrahan, South Jakarta, Thursday (21/5/2020).

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – The Education and Culture Ministry has reaffirmed that reopening the nation’s schools will depend on the recommendations of the national Covid-19 task force, in keeping with the principle that the safety and health of children remains the top priorities.

“[We will] wait for the national Covid-19 task force to make a decision on the scenario for reopening schools. We have to be synchronized to avoid any [policy] overlap,” the ministry’s acting director general for early, elementary and secondary education, Hamid Muhammad, said in Jakarta on Tuesday (26/5/2020).

In an earlier virtual work meeting with House of Representatives Commission X last Wednesday (20/5/2020), Education and Culture Minister Nadiem Anwar Makarim said that the decision to reopen schools would refer to the recommendations of the Covid-19 task force. The ministry would not make the decision unilaterally.

[We will] wait for the national Covid-19 task force to make a decision on the scenario for reopening schools.

Nadiem also said that the task force’s recommendations would also determine the decision on when and how schools would reopen.

“The decisions on when and in what manner [schools reopen], as well as what [the learning] methods will look like, will depend on decisions of the Covid-19 task force. This is not only about education. It is also about health,” he said.

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KOMPAS/FERGANATA INDRA RIATMOKO

Students submit health examination documents as one of the requirements for registration of new students at SMK Negeri 2 Salatiga state junior vocation school, Salatiga city, Central Java, Monday (17/6/2019). The process of collecting tokens for online school registration was held on that day.

Tamansiswa Association executive manager Darmaningtyas said that the government should always refer to the Covid-19 data. If transmission of the disease persisted or surged, it urged the government not to gamble with the health and safety of children by reopening schools.

Furthermore, Darmaningtyas said that he believed only a handful of schools in the nation were ready to implement strict health protocols, such as installing new sinks and implementing new rules on regular disinfection and physical distancing.

Other than waiting for the Covid-19 task force’s recommendations, the education ministry was also expected to continue coordinating and listening to the aspirations of the Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Ministry, the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPAI), and the Indonesian Pediatric Society (IDAI). Coordinating with these organizations was crucial before making any decision on reopening schools.

Also read : For the Sake of Students’ Future

“If the Covid-19 task force says that schools can reopen, the Education and Culture Ministry must refer to Covid-19 transmission data. [It should] Also consider feedback from organizations that champion children’s rights, such as the Indonesian Pediatric Society,” he said.

The local administrations of regencies and municipalities may reopen schools if they are declared Covid-19 “green zones”, but such decisions would cause discrepancies across regions in reopening schools.

Darmaningtyas also expressed the hope that the government would attend to the families of poor and vulnerable students before making a decision on reopening schools. The Covid-19 epidemic had severely affected the finances of such families.

“They will surely think about their survival first. Private schools that rely on revenues from parents will also be affected. Therefore, the government’s views must not be based exclusively on well-to-do families,” he said.

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KOMPAS/FERGANATA INDRA RIATMOKO

Students go to Temulawak Hill at Petir B Hamlet, Petir village, Rongkop district, Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta, to send school assignments online, Tuesday (12/5/2020). It was the only location in the village with an internet signal.

Involving regions

House Commission X chair Syaiful Huda concurred with Darmaningtyas, saying that he hoped the government would refer to the data on Covid-19 transmission down to the municipal/regency level, more than 400 of which had confirmed cases to date. The government must also learn whether or not these regions were imposing the large-scale social restrictions (PSBB).

Regency and municipal administrations had a large role to play in reopening their schools, as they knew best about Covid-19 transmission in their regions.

“If the Covid-19 task force says that schools in a particular region may reopen but the local mayor or regent disagrees, my suggestion is that the schools should not reopen, as everyone must prioritize the health and safety of children,” Syaiful said.

Everyone must prioritize the health and safety of children.

He said that the education ministry had a great responsibility in deciding whether to reopen schools or not, especially in terms of developing clear health protocols. Examples included health checks, PCR testing, classroom seating arrangements and ensuring the availability of disinfectant and hand washing facilities. It must push for schools to use their operational funds to meet these requirements.

According to Syaiful, the government must soon evaluate online learning methods to determine a compatible model that supports learning activities for children.

Maria Yosephina, a contract teacher at Kaenbaun Catholic elementary school in North Central Timor, East Nusa Tenggara, said that she continued to visit her students at home throughout the Covid-19 social restrictions. This was because most of her students had internet connectivity issues. She had even created a timetable on learning and gardening lessons for the students to follow with their parents.

Kompas/Hendra A Setyawan

A student of SD Al Azhar 15 Pamulang elementary school in South Tangerang, Banten, does an assignment during the online teaching and learning activities introduced by the government due to the Covid-19 outbreak on Tuesday (17/3/2020).

She said that many students had asked her when the school would reopen. Maria said that she had instead explained to them that the continuing Covid-19 outbreak could endanger their health and safety.

“During my teaching visits, I always remind them to wash their hands and wear a mask whenever they go out. I have also told them to pray hard that the epidemic will end soon,” said Maria.

She was also among the many teachers who sent a letter to the education minister, who responded by inviting them to join him in a virtual meeting.

As of Tuesday (26/5/2020), Indonesia had 23,165 confirmed cases and 1,418 deaths.