Mitigation Strategies for Face-to-Face Learning

KOMPAS/SEKAR GANDHAWANGI

A student at SDN 07 Cideng, Jakarta, returns from school, Friday (24/9/2021). SDN 07 Cideng is one of the schools that held limited face-to-face learning in Jakarta. Offline learning takes place three times a week and is attended by only 50 percent of students, while others study from home.

Face-to-face learning must be resumed after more than a year of school closures and remote lessons.

The longer schools are closed, the greater risks children will face, especially for those who have been unable to adapt to distance learning.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have always reminded countries to prioritize reopening schools once the rate of COVID-19 transmissions slows. The threat of losing a generation to learning loss and children dropping out of school is even greater if schools do not reopen soon.

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Nonetheless, the safety and health of students, teachers and staff must also be prioritized. Schools must ensure that they can reopen in a safe manner. Reports of new COVID-19 cases during face-to-face learning (Kompas, 27/9/2021) showed that there are still risks, even if schools have reopened after meeting all the requirements.

Reports of new COVID-19 cases amid face-to-face learning has happened before. Last year, similar cases occurred when schools in certain zones were allowed to reopen. COVID-19 cases in schools can trigger a rise in cases within the community.

KOMPAS/ERIKA KURNIA

A number of Class XI students at SMK Negeri 38 Central Jakarta did a cake-making practicum, Friday (9/24/2021). This activity is part of the face-to-face learning that has been taking place since the end of August 2021.

By learning from the past, it is clear that risk mitigation for face-to-face learning must be strengthened. Decreases in COVID-19 cases and the implementation of health protocols during face-to-face learning must also be accompanied by efforts to prevent COVID-19 from reaching schools in the first place. Temperature checks at school entrances will not detect asymptomatic patients. Meanwhile, not all schools can finance swab tests for each student, teacher and staff member.

Mitigation strategies must start at home. Are there students, teachers or staff who have a history of contact with people who tested positive for COVID-19? The school should have a record of its students, teachers and staff, noting those with comorbidities, those who live in red zones and those who have to pass red zones to get to school from home. This mapping can be used as a basis to determined who poses the least risks for face-to-face learning. Knowledge and awareness of the importance of health protocols and tracing within the community, as well as routinely monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of face-to-face learning are all crucial.

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Ideally, all students, teachers and staff should be vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to the resumption of face-to-face learning to reduce the risk of the most severe outcomes of the disease. Although children are generally more resistant to the virus than adults, they are still capable of spreading the virus and being exposed to long COVID-19 if infected.

Data from the Indonesian Pediatrician Association (IDAI) shows that COVID-19 cases in children and child mortality due to COVID-19 are still high. This serves as a reminder to prevent COVID-19 transmissions and ensure that children stay safe when they return to school.

This article was translated by Kesya Adhalia.