DPD Asks Face-to-Face Learning In July Adjusted To Regional COVID-19 Status

JAKARTA - The government through the Minister of Education and Culture (Mendikbud) Nadiem Makarim plans to reactivate face-to-face schools in July.

The face-to-face Teaching and Learning Activities (KBM) are targeted after the COVID-19 vaccination for educators is completed in June.

Responding to this plan, Deputy Chairman of the Regional Representative Council (DPD) Sultan Bachtiar Najamudin asked the government not to rush back to school face-to-face in the coming July.

According to him, face-to-face teaching and learning activities should be based on the level or level of the epidemic of COVID-19 cases in an area or region. For example, it has been declared a green zone.

"It is not by the vaccination process that the level of efficacy and effectiveness for education personnel is not yet known", said Sultan in his statement, Thursday, February 23.

Sultan assessed that the vaccination process currently being implemented cannot be said to be effective in reducing the number of COVID-19 cases. Because he said, there was not a single country that could prove the effect of vaccines on reducing positive cases widely.

"Vaccinated education officers, for example, may be able to protect their families and students from infection, but when the virus is everywhere, there will be ample opportunities to enter homes and school environments", said Sultan.

However, the senator from Bengkulu said the DPD appreciated the progressive steps of the government in prioritizing educators and education personnel as one of the main groups being vaccinated.

"We hope that face-to-face teaching and learning activities can be activated immediately so that students can return to normal learning activities in schools and campuses. However, it must be implemented with strict and consistent health protocol standards", said Sultan.

The Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) previously released the latest additional positive cases of COVID-19 today. A total of 69,544 specimens were examined today. As a result, there were 8,493 new positive cases of COVID-19.

"The total accumulation of positive cases since COVID-19 was discovered in Indonesia reached 1,314,634 people and 157,705 active cases", data quoted from the Ministry of Health, Thursday, February 25.