Gov’t Issues Circular on Limited Face-to-Face Learning at Islamic Schools, Institutions

President Jokowi on his working visit on Miftahul Falah Boarding School, Kuningan, West Java, Tuesday (31/08). (Photo by: BPMI)

Ministry of Religion Affairs’ Director General of Islamic Education on Saturday (30/08) issued a Circular on Guidelines for the Implementation of Face-to-Face Learning at Madrasas, Islamic Boarding Schools, and Islamic Educational Institutions during the Implementation of Public Activity Restrictions (PPKM) COVID-19.

“The implementation of limited face-to-face learning for 2021/2022 academic year must pay attention the Government policy on the PPKM and refer to the provisions in joint ministerial decree from four ministries,” Director General of Islamic Education of the Ministry M. Ali Ramdhani said in Jakarta, Friday (03/09).

According to Ali, madrasas (elementary/higher Islamic schools under the Ministry’s management), Islamic boarding schools (pesantren), as well as Islamic educational with dormitories and non-dormitory institutions must coordinate with and obtain letters of recommendation from COVID-19 Task Force and the local health office to hold a limited face-to-face learning.

Especially for madrasas, Ali continued, the circular regulates the filling of a limited face-to-face learning readiness checklist and can be updated according to current conditions.

The checklist will be one of the monitoring materials for Head of the Ministry’s local office in the implementation of limited face-to-face learning.

In addition, to hold a limited face-to-face meeting, madrasas must also obtain a letter of recommendation from Head of the Ministry’s local office on the basis of the checklist. However, parents of students can still choose whether their children shall attend the limited face-to-face learning or to remain study from their home.

Quoting the circular, Ali stated that the implementation of face-to-face learning in Islamic boarding schools and Islamic educational with dormitories and non-dormitory institutions must apply the procedures for learning activities to meet health protocol standards, starting from learning facility readiness, Islamic students/santri’s arrival, worship scheme, as well as santri’s paradigm, interaction, and learning scheme.

The circular also obliges the provincial and local office of the Ministry to coordinate with the local COVID-19 task force and / or the local health office in carrying out supervision and monitoring of Islamic boarding schools and Islamic educational with dormitories and non-dormitory institutions in implementing limited face-to-face learning.

However, if they cannot meet the requirements and/or cannot implement the provisions as stipulated in the joint decree from four ministerial, they are not allowed to carry out limited face-to-face learning activities and must continue to carry out distance learning, the circular stated. (Ministry of Religious Affairs PR/UN) (GWH/EP)