Face-to-face learning, with 100-percent capacity, is implemented by taking into account the school’s readiness to prevent COVID-19 transmission in the school environment, the Presidential Staff Office (KSP) stated.

Deputy II of KSP Abetnego Tarigan, at a press conference here on Tuesday, noted that the school’s readiness is demonstrated by the adequate infrastructure for health protocols and the sound understanding of COVID-19 among students, teachers, and staff.

“Apart from that, vaccination coverage for students, teachers, and staff currently has reached almost 100 percent,” he remarked.

According to the Joint Decree (SKB) of four ministers regarding Guidelines for the Implementation of Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic, face-to-face learning at schools may be implemented with 100-percent capacity in areas with level 1 and level 2 public activity restrictions (PPKM).

With the issuance of the decree, schools can organize face-to-face learning for all students while still prioritizing everyone’s safety.

Tarigan conveyed that the government had decided to approve schools to open with 100-percent capacity to prevent learning loss that can be caused by online learning ongoing for almost two years.

“Amid the pandemic, it can be said that education in Indonesia is lagging behind that of other countries. This is what we need to catch up on,” he affirmed.

According to Tarigan, online classes implemented during the pandemic places a psychological burden and changes the students’ learning patterns. Moreover, the parents’ skills in assisting and teaching their children are not all in accordance with the teachers’ standards.

To this end, the KSP also encouraged the implementation of 100-percent face-to-face learning under strict supervision, specifically through surveillance or supervision of people at school in collaboration with the local education and health offices.

“Thus, if later, new cases (of COVID-19) are found, they can be immediately mitigated, and control steps can be taken quickly,” he noted.

Source: Antara News