According to monitoring conducted by representatives of the Indonesian Ombudsman in Jakarta, the education office had anticipated the traffic and informed the Internet service provider about the matter.
By
Kompas Editor
·3 minutes read
Kompas/Hendra A Setyawan
The home study policy set by the government regarding the covid-19 outbreak was used by Al Azhar 15 Pamulang Elementary School, South Tangerang, Banten to hold online teaching and learning activities, on Tuesday (17/3/2020). Students and teachers utilize the googleclassroom application for study rooms and zoom cloud meetings for teleconferences.
The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the transformation of technology, including in the field of education. However, its success relies much on the readiness of the supporting facilities.
The success of the technological transformation is also determined by its actors. Technical obstacles have hampered the online enrollment for new students (PPDB), which is under way in Jakarta. On the first and second day of registration, the system was not able to anticipate the surge in registration due to heavy traffic. This year, as many as 300,000 students are estimated to register through online enrollment.
According to monitoring conducted by representatives of the Indonesian Ombudsman in Jakarta, the education office had anticipated the traffic and informed the Internet service provider about the matter.
However, the service provider miscalculated the capacity of servers and bandwidth, so service was disrupted.
This condition should not have happened because the online enrollment this year is not the first of its kind. In recent years a number of regions, including Jakarta, have implemented the online enrollment system in receiving new students. In fact, since 2020, all regions have been encouraged to apply the online enrollment system in order to avoid crowds, which could trigger the spread of Covid-19.
However, from year-to-year, the same problems have always occurred, both because of technical constraints and because of a lack in people\'s capability in using the digital technology. People often incorrectly enter the required registration documents or don’t know the steps of the registration process. Not to mention that always arises regarding the zoning system versus popular schools.
The preparation, such as informing the public on regulations and technical implementation, is key in the use of the online enrollment system. Regulations often change to accommodate the demands of the community, especially in relation to “popular schools” because the quality of schools is much different from one another.
AFP/PATRICK T. FALLON
A YMCA staff member assists a child as they attend online classes at a learning hub inside the Crenshaw Family YMCA during the Covid-19 pandemic on February 17, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.
Finally, when problems arise, there is always the statement "this event will be used as evaluation material". Such statements are often used by officials in responding to the public’s complaints, including limited face-to-face learning (PTM) during the pandemic. When a school becomes a Covid-19 cluster, the same statement is often issued.
Although the government has encouraged schools to start holding face-to-face instruction, albeit on a limited basis, online distance learning remains a necessity.
The Covid-19 pandemic can actually be used as an opportunity to evaluate many things, including the use digital technology in education, from the registration of new students to the teaching and learning process. Although the government has encouraged schools to start holding face-to-face instruction, albeit on a limited basis, online distance learning remains a necessity.
People are starting to adapt, although not yet perfectly, because some are still constrained by technology and internet access. It is the duty of the relevant ministries/institutions to cope with the problems. Data from the Communication and Information Ministry shows that around 12,400 villages have not been reached by the internet. Data from the Association of Indonesian Internet Service Providers also shows that 117 million people (45 percent of the population) still have no access to the internet.
This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi.
