Schools Open In July, But Canteens Must Be Closed, No Extracurriculars For 2 Months

Minister of Education and Culture Nadiem Makarim (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Schools and other educational units must be opened in July with certain conditions. Even though the school has opened later, the canteens still have to be closed. Meanwhile, sports to extracurricular activities are still prohibited.

This was conveyed by the Minister of Education and Culture Nadiem Makarim in the issuance of a Joint Decree (SKB) of the Minister of Education and Culture, Minister of Religion, Minister of Health, and Minister of Home Affairs regarding Implementation Guidelines in the COVID-19 Pandemic.

"No activities in the canteen, no sports and extracurricular activities, and other activities besides learning for the first two months of the transition period when face-to-face learning starts", Nadiem said in a virtual press conference, Tuesday, March 30.

However, said Nadiem, learning activities outside the environment such as visiting teachers are allowed while maintaining health protocols.

Then, all educational units continue to implement strict health protocols. First, classrooms must be limited to 50 percent of the existing capacity.

In addition, every member of the school and other educational units must also continue to wear masks, wash their hands frequently using soap, and maintain their distance while there.

"Limited face-to-face learning entry is completely different from schools before the pandemic. There are far fewer face-to-face students in one place with strict distance restrictions. All must wear masks and no activities that create crowds are allowed", said Nadiem.

Nadiem continued, this face-to-face learning program (PTM) obligation is applied to schools or educational units where teachers and education personnel have been vaccinated against COVID-19. Then, the school also still has to serve online distance learning (PJJ) options.

"So, like it or not, even though vaccination has been completed, it is mandatory to provide limited face-to-face meetings. But it still has to go through a rotation system. So it must provide two or two options, face-to-face and also distance learning", said Nadiem.