The government must consider implementing blended learning (a mix of online and offline classes) amid the current increase in COVID-19 cases, People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) Deputy Speaker Lestari Moerdijat has said.

“In recent days, the number of COVID-19 positive cases in Jakarta has been increasing, while face-to-face learning is starting to take place. In order to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, a combination of online and face-to-face learning can be implemented,” she said in a written statement released on Friday.

The implementation of blended learning must be followed by efforts to form an offline learning mechanism that is safe from the risk of COVID-19 transmission, both for students and teachers, Moerdijat added.

She called for measurable evaluation of the implementation of face-to-face learning amid the increasing cases of COVID-19 to reduce the risk of coronavirus spread.

The MPR deputy speaker expressed the hope that a learning process that is adaptive to the COVID-19 situation would still be able to meet the academic standards expected in the curriculum.

She asked all stakeholders to work hand in hand to control the spread of COVID-19 consistently so that people can carry out their daily activities safely.

With a measurable COVID-19 handling system, a number of activities, such as learning and working, could be carried out safely with measurable risks, she said.

“Amid the increasing cases of COVID-19, efforts to increase testing and tracing must be realized, including improving public compliance with the health protocols so that the increasing trend of COVID-19 cases is not followed by an increase in mortality,” she remarked.

In addition, she said that ramping up COVID-19 vaccinations among vulnerable groups is a necessary preventive measure.

The first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Indonesia in March 2020. According to data provided by the COVID-19 Handling Task Force, as of January 14, 2022, at least 4,269,740 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the country, while 4,117,700 people have recovered, and 144,163 people have succumbed to the virus.

The Indonesian government recently allowed schools to start face-to-face learning at 100-percent capacity through the issuance of the Four Ministries Joint Decree regarding the Guidelines for the Implementation of Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The joint decree allows regions with Level 1 and 2 public activity restrictions (PPKM) to implement 100-percent face-to-face learning.

Source: Antara News