Regional Heads Asked To Participate In Face-to-Face Monitoring Of Schools

Illustration (Angga Nugraha / VOI)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) has asked local governments to monitor the change in the color of the COVID-19 spread zone in the 2020-2021 school year. This is because the protocol for learning activities for each zone is different.

This is following the students who will return to school face to face. Meanwhile, students in the yellow, orange, and red zones are still required to learn from home.

The Director General of Regional Administration Development of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Safrizal ZA, said that it is possible to determine the color of the zone in an area as the academic year starts on July 13.

"We ask local governments to continue to monitor and evaluate the changes in the indicators that cause the color to change. Therefore, later in the implementation, we will find an instant change in color," said Safrizal in a press conference via webinar, Monday June 15th.

Safrizal added that the local government must ensure that the protocol for preventing COVID-19 is carried out by all schools that are open. In learning, all students must maintain a safe distance, wear a mask, and clean their hands as often as possible.

Furthermore, local governments need to simulate face-to-face learning activities according to the learning guidelines in two phases, namely the transition period for two months and a new normal period in the following month.

"Of course, it is sufficient for local governments to have time to carry out simulations. So, with the simulations we do, the protocols prepared can run smoothly," he said.

For information, the Ministry of Education and Culture has allowed areas that are included in the COVID-19 green zone category to carry out learning activities in schools in the 2020-2021 academic year.

Minister of Education and Culture Nadiem Makarim divides the two phases of face-to-face learning. First, learning in the transitional period for the first two months. If the learning condition is still declared safe from the spread of COVID-19, it will continue to the second phase, namely a new habit period.

During the transition period, educational institutions that can conduct face-to-face learning in July are SMA, SMK, MA, MAK, SMTK and SMP, Package C, Package B, and other upper and middle level agencies.

"After two months, if everything is still OK, the zone category is still green, then they can open SD, MI, and SLB," Nadiem said in a virtual press conference, Monday, June 15.

Then, Early Childhood Education (PAUD) is the last educational institution allowed to carry out face-to-face learning activities. The time is about 5 months from the new school year.