Gov’t Issues Joint Ministerial Decree on Learning Activities Guidelines Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

By Office of Assistant to Deputy Cabinet Secretary for State Documents & Translation     Date 23 Desember 2021
Category: News
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The spread of COVID-19 that is under control, high vaccination rate, as well as cancelation of public activity restrictions (PPKM) level 3 during Christmas and New Year period this year have brought a great effect to bring community’s optimism to rebound and resume their regular socio-economic activities.

Education units have also started carrying out limited face-to-face learning (Limited PTM) with the capacity between 25-50 percent and limited learning days and duration.

To that end, Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin, Minister of Home Affairs Muhammad Tito Karnavian, Minister of Education, Culture, Research and Technology Nadiem Anwar Makarim, and Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas have issued a Joint Ministerial Decree on Guidelines for Learning amid COVID-19 Pandemic to regulate the adjustment of the limited PTM policy to observe health protocols.

Monitoring and evaluation aspects of the limited PTM are also regulated in this joint ministerial decree, including the use of technology to notify cases that can be accessed by educational units and epidemiologists that carry out surveillance to certain educational unit.

In response to that, Nadiem expressed gratitude to the communities for their support for the issuance of this policy.

“Studies show that the pandemic has caused significant learning loss. All children have rights to go to school. Learning recovery is urgent to be done as long as we can still catch it up,” he said in Jakarta (12/23).

A survey done by Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology to 3,391 students at elementary schools in seven regencies / cities in four provinces between January 2020 and April 2021 shows that the pandemic has caused significant learning loss.

For example, amid pandemic, first grade of elementary students have lost their literacy learning which is equivalent to five months of learning while numeral learning loss is equivalent to five months of learning.

Furthermore, another research conducted done by UNESCO, UNICEF, and the World Bank also show that the reopening of schools must be a priority of every country considering global learning loss crises have caused children lose their social interaction skill and will deteriorate their health condition and have bad influence to their mental development. Nadiem also said that the educational recovery is no less important than the economic recovery.

Echoing a similar sentiment, Minister of Health expressed his support to implement the limited PTM under strict health protocols.

He also said that vaccination drive for educators, educational personnel, and students is carried out to support the implementation of the limited PTM.

“As of today, more than 50 percent of the vaccination target have received the second dose of vaccine. Vaccination for educators, educational personnel has also reached 80 percent, while vaccination for children aged 12-17 years old has reached 82 percent. The Government has also kicked off vaccination drive for children aged 6-11 years old,” he said, adding that based on the newly-issued joint decree, the limited PTM for pre-schools, elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, and higher educations will begin in the Even Semester of the School Year and Academic Year of 2021/2022.

Related to the beginning of the limited PTM, Minister of Home Affairs called on regional governments to monitor the limited PTM so that the implementation will run properly.

In the meantime, Minister of Religious Affairs also reminded that any education unit that breach the rule and health protocols will be subject to administrative sanctions and to be given directives by National COVID-19 Task Force in accordance with the provisions of laws and regulations. (PR of Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology/UN) (AP/EP)

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