Kemendikbudristek: If A COVID-19 Case Appears In Schools, It Will Not Close All Schools Again

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JAKARTA - Secretary-General of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Kemendikbudristek), Suharti, said the limited face-to-face learning (PTM) would continue despite COVID-19 cases.

"If there are cases of COVID-19 in schools, it does not necessarily close all schools again. Regional governments already have procedures in place to handle COVID-19 clusters", said Suharti, quoted by Antara, Friday, September 17.

She added that the local government already has a special policy in dealing with COVID-19 clusters in its area. For example, in DKI Jakarta, if a case of COVID-19 is found in the school, the school will be closed for a few days at the same time investigating the case at the school.

Therefore, even though school clusters have sprung up, it does not necessarily close schools in the country.

Suharti emphasized that the policy of reopening schools was not done immediately but through many considerations.

“Schools also have to meet quite strict requirements. Starting from the support of infrastructure, COVID-19 vaccination for educators, students, and also other school residents. There is a checklist that schools have to fill out. If the list has not been fulfilled, then of course schools cannot carry out limited PTM", she said.

Schools that do not meet the limited PTM requirements will automatically not be able to start face-to-face learning. On the other hand, if the school fulfills the checklist, the school is also allowed to hold a limited PTM.

Suharti admitted that the checklist was compiled by many parties, namely the Ministry of Education and Culture, the COVID-19 Task Force, and the Ministry of Health. The parameters that must be met have met safety standards to avoid the transmission of COVID-19 in schools.

“Currently, the government continues to accelerate the vaccination target for teachers and education personnel. The Ministry of Health has also issued a circular so that local governments prioritize vaccination for teachers and educators", she said.