World Children's Day 2021: Ensure the Protection of Face-to-Face Learning
20 November 2021. At the end of August 2021, the government allowed a number of schools to hold limited face-to-face learning (PTM). Unfortunately, face-to-face learning causes two fundamental problems: the transmission of the virus in the school environment so that many students and teachers are infected with Covid-19, and the lack of protection of school residents from bullying, violence or intimidation related to enforcing health protocols in their schools. So that,…
PRESS RELEASE
World Children's Day 2021:
Ensure Protection of Face-to-Face Learning
November 20, 2021. At the end of August 2021, the government allowed a number of schools to hold limited face-to-face learning (PTM). Unfortunately, face-to-face learning causes two fundamental problems: the transmission of the virus in the school environment so that many students and teachers are infected with Covid-19, and the lack of protection of school residents from bullying, violence or intimidation related to enforcing health protocols in their schools. So, on the occasion of World Children's Day 2021, the government needs to review the implementation of limited PTM to provide guarantees for protecting children's health in educational environments.
Violation of Health Protocols and Potential for Covid-19 Clusters in Children at School
Over the past 3 months, the Indonesian Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology (Kemendikbudristek) noted that around 490 thousand schools from 471 districts/cities in Indonesia were allowed to hold limited PTM.1Meanwhile, not all schools report their readiness to hold PTM. At least, only 59.91% of registered schools reported their readiness, although not all of them met the school readiness points.2
The implementation of face-to-face learning was also not followed by the readiness of the majority of regional governments (Pemda). In fact, based on the SKB 4 Ministers regarding Guidelines for Organizing Learning during the Covid-19 Pandemic for local governments
should be the person responsible for the mechanism for organizing face-to-face learning. This is proven by the fact that technical arrangements regarding face-to-face learning have not been implemented in 364 districts/cities. The new face-to-face learning policy was issued by 59 districts/cities, while 32 districts/cities have only implemented PTM in some areas, and 74 districts/cities are still implementing the home learning system. This shows that most districts/cities in Indonesia are still not ready to hold PTM.
This condition was then made worse by the discovery of violations of limited PTM provisions that occurred in various regions. LaporCovid-19 received at least 85 reports from residents from 30 August to 18 November 2021 who complained about the incompatibility of implementing PTM with public health principles. These violations include violating health protocols, being forced to take part in face-to-face learning, and intimidation of people who care about health protocols at school. Lack of settings technical issues, many violations, and low supervision of the implementation of PTM
limited and then has the potential to give rise to clusters that occur in educational units.
We do too media crawling from various media in Indonesia, and found that at least 868 children and 50 teaching staff were infected with Covid-19 at school in the period 31 August – 18 November 2021. This data was dominated by secondary education (32%) and primary education (11%). Instead of this incident being followed by a temporary suspension of PTM, if the 3T strengthening is not carried out properly, then the transmission of Covid-19 in schools will have an impact on controlling the Covid-19 pandemic in Indonesia.
Minimal Government Response to Face-to-Face Learning Report
Another problem is the lack of response and follow-up from the relevant agencies regarding reports of violations of PTM provisions. Previously, on October 1 2021 LaporCovid-19 together with LBH Jakarta and the Education and Teachers Association (P2G) submitted several notes on PTM violations along with recommendations regarding the implementation of PTM to the Ministry of Education and Culture. We also routinely send recapitulations of citizen reports regarding PTM violations in school environments during October – November 2021. Unfortunately, to date there has been no response or follow-up from the Ministry of Education and Culture of these reports.
At the same time, together with LBH Bandung, LaporCovid-19 also assisted residents from Bandung Regency who were harassed after reporting violations of PTM provisions. The resident, who is also a student guardian at the school, is considered to have defamed the school. The incident began with a report about a potential crowd that would occur in the school environment. Even though the local Education Department has followed up, residents' reports have actually resulted in bullying and intimidation by unscrupulous teachers and other student guardians, because they are seen as obstacles to the implementation of PTM.
In this incident, LaporCovid-19 together with LBH Bandung have asked the Bandung Regency Education Office to mediate so that attempts at intimidation and bullying can be stopped. However, to this day, there has been no response or action
further reports of bullying in the school environment. As a result, the parents of the students at the school were uncomfortable, and this resulted in the students also receiving unpleasant treatment at school. In fact, to be able to provide safe, comfortable and enjoyable learning, efforts need to be made to prevent and overcome acts of violence in the educational unit environment. Minister of Education and Culture Regulation No. 82 of 2015 states that there is an obligation by the government, educational units and the community in the school environment to create an educational unit environment that is free from acts of violence and bullying.
The government's minimal response to reporting violations of PTM provisions and citizen reports which also lead to bullying of citizens is proof that the state has not been fully present in responding to citizens' complaints. This also shows that the state has failed to protect school residents from acts of violence and violence bullying when providing input on the implementation of PTM which often violates health protocols.
Based on the issues above, the Civil Society Coalition for education during the pandemic provides the following recommendations:
- The government needs to improve regulations and guidelines for face-to-face learning that are comprehensive and include protection and prevention of Covid-19 transmission in the school environment.
- Ensure that there is supervision and evaluation from local agencies regarding the implementation of regular face-to-face schooling.
- Respond and actively follow up on every report regarding violations of health protocols in PTM, and protect every citizen who provides input into PTM activities, both at the ministerial level and at the district/city education office.
Best regards,
Civil Society Coalition for Education during the Pandemic
LaporCovid19, ICW, Lokataru, YLBHI, PuSaKO FH Unand, LBH Makassar, LBH Masyarakat, TI
Indonesia, LBH Jakarta, and FBHUK
Contact Person:
Yemiko Happy, ReportCovid19 (081358982549)
1 See Republika, (2021). Ministry of Education and Culture: 490 Thousand Schools Allow Limited PTM. Can be accessed via:
https://www.republika.co.id/berita/qzb5lo487/kemendikbud-490ribu-bisnis-diperbolehkan-ptm-terbatas
2 See Kemendikbudristek, (2021) Teaching and Learning Process Readiness Dashboard for Educational Units during the Pandemic
Covid-10. Can be accessed via: https://school.data.kemdikbud.go.id/kesiapanbelajar/dashboard
