Bintan Applies 100 Percent Face-to-face Learning On A Number Of Islands

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BINTAN - The Education Office of Bintan Regency, Riau Islands Province has implemented a Face-to-face Learning (PTM) system with a student quota of 100 percent on a number of islands in the area.

The head of the Bintan Education Office, Tamsir, said that the implementation of PTM for elementary-junior high school students on the islands could be 100 percent because the number of students was only small, while the classrooms were quite large.

In addition, he continued, until now no school clusters have been found as long as 100 percent PTM is carried out on islands. PTM 100 percent, among others, held in the District of Mantang, Bintan Pesisir and District Tambelan.

"So far it has been effective, there have been no reports of new cases of COVID-19 on the islands," he said in Bintan, as reported by Antara, Monday, March 21.

Meanwhile, PTM at the center of government and sub-districts in mainland Bintan is still being implemented with a student quota of 50 percent. Study hours are also only 50 percent to prevent the transmission of COVID-19.

Recently, he said, COVID-19 cases were found in three schools so that face-to-face learning at those schools was temporarily suspended. But now, activities at the school are running normally.

"There are two elementary schools and one junior high school. After the COVID-19 cases emerged in the three schools, learning activities were carried out online. But now things have returned to normal," he said.

Tamsir said students, parents and teachers asked for 100 percent PTM to be carried out again as before the pandemic. The aspiration has been conveyed to the Bintan COVID-19 Handling Task Force. PTM is considered to be much more effective for students and teachers in the learning process and the educational growth of students. So far, students and teachers have found many obstacles in the online learning model such as poor signal, students do not have cell phones and less interaction between teachers and students.

"If it can't be 100 percent, at least it will be increased to 75 percent," he said.

Based on data from the Bintan COVID-19 Handling Task Force, there are only 218 active cases in Bintan, a decrease of 44 people compared to the previous day.

"Active cases continue to decrease, the lives of the people of Bintan are returning to normal," he said.