Undeniably, there are mixed feelings among parents, students, university students and the bureaucracy over the safety of face-to-face education at schools and universities.
By
KOMPAS EDITOR
·3 minutes read
Kompas/Priyombodo
A student at Al-Bayan Islamic School, Tangerang City, Banten, doing the work of the teacher while studying at home (home learning), Tuesday (17/3/2020). School students in the Jabodetabek area and several other provinces in Indonesia must study at home following the government\'s policy to temporarily close schools in an effort to prevent the transmission of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Undeniably, there are mixed feelings among parents, students, university students and the bureaucracy over the safety of face-to-face education at schools and universities.
On the one hand, psychologically, there is a need and also a longing among students and individuals in general to meet friends and socialize like in the old normal era. No matter how well technology supports human communication, interactions in person are warmer and more fulfilling.
On the other hand, COVID-19 transmission has not been completely suppressed yet. Every day we see the number of infected increase, meaning that the danger of coronavirus transmission is still lurking.
It is normal that parents are not yet willing to let their children go back to school for face-to-face learning, even if the school has been sprayed with disinfectant and health protocols have been applied.
Such worries are reasonable. Yes, schools and campuses may have been sterilized. But what about the students’ journeys to schools or universities? Because of their excitement in meeting friends, they may take off their face masks or share food they bring from home.
Students of SMK Negeri 1 Surabaya prepare to take part in the first day of the Computer-Based National Examination (UNBK), Surabaya, East Java, Monday (16/3/2020). Although schools are closed at all levels due to the anticipation of the spread of the UNBK 2020 Covid-19 outbreak for Vocational Schools in East Java, it will continue.
We heard the explanation of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo when he visited Istiqlal Mosque on Tuesday (2/6/2020) – that the opening of various institutions, including schools, will be made after strict considerations. The virus transmission rate in each area is an important consideration.
However, the technical details turned out to be complex and hard to pin down. The school has to provide hand-washing basins, soap and hand-held thermometers. "However, it will be difficult for schools to ascertain whether, on the way from home to school, the students follow health protocols," said the deputy principal of SMAN 6 Jakarta high school, Husniwati.
In addition to the many accommodations that must be prepared, face-to-face learning during the new normal era creates high costs, including the cost of daily health checks on the students (Kompas, 3/6/2020).
we are reminded that important matters such as education should not be dictated by urgency alone.
As epidemiologists say, there are a number of requirements that must be met for the new normal to be implemented safely and successfully. There is a demand for urgency, but this should not compromise health security.
Overall, we emphasize that the opening of schools for in-person education has not yet been supported with strong reasoning. We are of the view that schools should prepare all the facilities needed for the new normal, including the health protocols, while at the same time we should remain patient and wait for transmission rates to decrease to a safe level. Once again, we are reminded that important matters such as education should not be dictated by urgency alone.
