Presidential Spokesperson: COVID-19 Pandemic Provides Opportunity to Improve Education System

Presidential spokesperson M. Fadjroel Rachman speaks at the Webinar of Mahaputra Muhammad Yamin University (UMMY), Solok, Saturday (13/02). (Source: Webinar Screenshot via Zoom)

The COVID-19 pandemic provides the opportunity to improve national education system, Presidential Spokesperson M. Fadjroel Rachman said.

“Let’s make the pandemic a momentum to improve national education ecosystem. This pandemic has two faces, danger and opportunity. We handle the danger, then we use the opportunity to improve our education,” Fadjroel said at the Webinar of Mahaputra Muhammad Yamin (UMMY) University of Solok, West Sumatra, Saturday (13/02).

The Spokesperson, quoting President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, stated that in this era of digital disruption and hyper-competition as well as the fast-changing world, it is important to liberate students to learn from anyone. “President Jokowi gave a message to students, be free human beings and learn from anyone. Many things are not yet written in a book, but it already changed on the ground. Many working characters cannot be understood only through reading but we must encounter real experiences,” he said.

The President, Fadjroel stated, also reminded the world of education to not get caught up in a routine. “We have to develop new ways, the desire of students and lecturers to innovate must continue to be cultivated, new creations must be facilitated and developed,” he quoted the President’s directives during the 58th Anniversary of Brawijaya University (UB).

In this era of disruption, the country is facing these three challenges: first, Indonesia is a heterogeneous nation with different socio-cultural characteristics in each region, thus influencing the way to build human resources and the results obtained; second, educational institutions, including educational infrastructure and facilities, teaching staff, and teaching method curriculum; and third, the social digital divide.

For this reason, universities and schools are invited to join the school literacy movement in facing these challenges.

Fadjroel also urged educators to jointly disseminate correct information and combat the spread of hoaxes as well as to adapt to current technological developments and the pandemic. He asked the educators to find new ways in solving the drastically changed learning process. (FID/UN) (FI/MMB)