Preventing New Clusters, Chairman Of The Surabaya DPRD Asks Schools To Form A COVID-19 Task Force

ILLUSTRATION/BETWEEN

SURABAYA - Chairman of the Surabaya City DPRD Adi Sutarwijono urged schools to form a COVID-19 task force (satgas) ahead of the implementation of face-to-face learning (PTM). The goal is to ensure that health protocols (prokes) are strictly implemented, so that new clusters do not appear.

"Prokes discipline is also so that PTM does not appear new clusters. That's why the school must create a COVID-19 task force so that it can discipline children to obey health procedures during PTM," said Awi, his nickname, in Surabaya, Wednesday, September 1.

Awi considers it natural that the guardians of students in Surabaya are dominant in not allowing their children to join PTM, because they are worried that their baby will be infected with COVID-19. Therefore, the school must ensure the implementation of strict procedures, so that parents are sure that their children are not worried about joining PTM.

"In addition, the School Health Business (UKS) has also been revived. Maybe during this pandemic the UKS is not active, because there is no PTM. The most effective way to break and prevent the pace of this pandemic is to obey the prokes," he explained.

More importantly, said Awi, schools that will hold PTM must be assessed. For example, is the school ready to hold PTM with complete health care facilities and infrastructure, and must obtain permission from the student's guardian if his child participates in PTM.

"Parents must be given the freedom, whether to give permission for their children to take part in PTM or not. If the parents forbid it, they must not be forced," said Awi.

The alternative, said Awi, is that schools must provide online teaching and learning facilities and blended learning. The blended learning method is a combination of direct teaching and online teaching.

Awi also asked the Surabaya City Education Office, as well as schools to provide enrichment provisions about the COVID-19 pandemic, and education about the importance of health promotion. Awi considered it important, so it must be taught, either in the curriculum or in extra-curricular activities.

"Give knowledge to children, whether it's the COVID-19 pandemic, so that students grow up as a generation that is aware of the importance of health. They grow up as a generation that realizes the dangers of COVID-19," said Awi.