The Indonesian government is revising the guidelines for the implementation of face-to-face learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Currently, face-to-face learning has been stipulated in a joint decree signed by the Health Minister; Education, Culture, Research, and Technology Minister; Religious Affairs Minister; and Home Affairs Minister.

The revision of the joint decree (SKB) on the implementation of face-to-face learning is already being finalized, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said at an online press conference in Jakarta on Monday.

“Education Minister Nadiem Makarim and we have finalized the revision of the decree. Hopefully, it can be signed this week, so we can still carry out face-to-face education without ruling out aspects of health and safety,” Sadikin informed.

With the revised joint decree, face-to-face learning should run smoothly by upholding the health aspect, he said.

Earlier, face-to-face learning was implemented across Indonesia with some restrictions to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission, he noted.

To reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, face-to-face learning is currently being carried out by imposing health protocols, he said. The decree also limits the duration of onsite learning and the number of participants in teaching and learning activities in schools, he added.

Some areas with a low number of COVID-19 cases have claimed to be ready to conduct full face-to-face learning, he said. However, there are other regions that have decided to temporarily halt face-to-face learning in certain schools after students and/or teachers were infected with COVID-19, he added.

Previously, the health minister had informed some new clusters of COVID-19 had emerged in several schools that had led to an increase in cases in a number of regions.

Therefore, according to him, the Ministry of Health together with the Education Ministry collaborated to tighten supervision of health protocols’ implementation in schools.

Source: Antara News