New Strategy Needed to Overcome Problems in Online Learning

KOMPAS/HENDRA A SETYAWAN

The home study policy set by the government regarding the covid-19 outbreak was utilized by Al Azhar 15 Pamulang Elementary School, South Tangerang, Banten to hold online teaching and learning activities, Tuesday (17/3/2020).

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The government, especially the regional government, must be more active in using new strategies in conducting online learning in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. The policies that have been implemented so far have not been able to overcome the obstacles in online learning activities.

The use of the school operational assistance funds (BOS) to help teachers and students buys data packages only benefit those who have smartphones or a computer in areas where an internet network is available.

The 2020/2021 school year officially begin on Monday (13/7/2020). In the midst of the pandemic, the schools are conducting online learning to prevent Covid-19 transmission. However, many schools are unable to carry out distance learning well. More than 47,000 schools in the country cannot carry out online learning activities due to a lack of internet access and electricity networks.

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That situation has created a gap. There is a group of students who can implement the online learning properly while other group of students experience difficulty. Students who cannot follow the long distance learning will be left behind by their friends who cannot follow the online learning properly.

Anggi Afriansyah, education sociology researcher at the population research center of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), said online learning should not rely mainly on technology. "Teachers can use WhatsApp to give and pick assignments. The use of WhatsApp can be encouraged through the issuance of regulation that can help poor students, " she said on Tuesday (14/7).

Central and local governments must have practical solutions to build adaptive learning methods that enable students to take advantage of various learning media around them.

The government, according to him, cannot rely on the innovation of teachers and schools in creating practical solutions to support learning and teaching activities during the pandemic. Central and local governments must have practical solutions to build adaptive learning methods that enable students to take advantage of various learning media around them. He reminded the government to make policies and programs that support students who do not have access to technology.

Those who have smart phones and access to the internet will find it easier to adapt to online learning because they have the tools. "On the contrary, those who cannot benefit from information and communication technology due to limited access are not given enough attention," Anggi said.

Read also: Schools Find Ways to Address Learning Issues

Meanwhile, the head of the Purwakarta Education Office, West Java, Purwanto, said the results of the evaluation of the online learning conducted recently had indicated that many students could not follow the online learning method due to lack of smartphones and their inability to buy data packages. "I have asked the principal to coordinate with teachers to make learning materials that can be easily accessed by the students. Teachers have also been encouraged to visit students\' homes regularly, "he said.

Kompas/Priyombodo

Patricia, a level 10 student at Tarakanita Gading Serpong High School, Tangerang, Banten, participated in an end-of-year assessment (PAT) Even Semester music subjects through the network (online) from her home in the Serpong Utara area, South Tangerang, on Wednesday (13/5/2020 ).

The head of the department for curriculum development for junior high schools in the Bandung Education Office, West Java, Bambang Ariyanto, said that 9.25 percent of junior high school students in the city could not follow the online learning due to the lack of supporting facilities.

He said parents, for example, did not have money to buy data packages, or their mobile phones did not have operational features to conduct the online learning,

Buy food

Eka Ilham, a teacher at SMK 1 vocational high school in Palibelo, Bima Regency, West Nusa Tenggara, said that in his school, the BOS funds cannot be used to help students to buy data packages to carry out online learning because most of the students did not have smartphones and due to the lack of internet connection in the area. "As the results, the BOS fund was used to buy staple foods. which were then distributed to students,” he added.

Many student live in a village located in the mountains that are difficult to reach.

According to him, establishing a study group is also not effective for his students because their homes are far apart. Many student live in a village located in the mountains that are difficult to reach

Not all teachers receive financial assistance from the BOS funds to buy data packages. Sri Haryati, a non-permanent teacher in Blitar, East Java, said that she did not get any money from the BOS funds to buy data packages. "Previously I only spent Rp 65,000 per month to buy data packages. Now I have to spend at least Rp 130,000 per month," Sri said.

The deputy secretary general of the Federation of the Indonesian Teacher (FSGI) , Satriwan Salim, said the flexibility in the use of the BOS funds could not overcome the problems of the students in conducting online learning especially those who do not have smart phones or computers and internet access. There should be a solution to overcome the problem such as by allowing them to borrow smart phones from the school, he added. "Local government’s an initiatives to help students who do not have devices are needed. The central government can, for example, cooperate with telecommunication companies to provide the internet connection, “he said.

Kompas/Priyombodo

Al Bayan Islamic Elementary School 2 level students do online year-end assessment questions at their home in the city of Tangerang, Banten, Wednesday (29/4/2020).

Without extra effort from the government, the education gap will worsen in the future. The government’s intervention is also needed to solve the problem.

Ratih M Singkarru, a member of the House Commission X from the NasDem Party faction suggested during a virtual public hearing in Jakarta on Tuesday the use of community radio to reach people with limited internet access.

Participants of the hearing were, among others, representatives from the education council and education offices from Central Java, East Kalimantan, North Sumatra and North Sulawesi. During the hearing, they agreed to propose to the Education and Culture Ministry to immediately to introduce an adaptive curriculum that can be easily used in online learning. (MED/IKA/RTG/MEL)