Schools Work Hard to Hold On-Campus Learning

Hybrid learning systems require teachers to be able to teach students at school and online — sometimes at the same time. Schools are working on various ways to implement the strategy.

KOMPAS/TATANG MULYANA SINAGA

Dozens of Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) students participated in welcoming the academic community back to campus at Ganesha Campus ITB, Bandung City, West Java, Monday (27/9/2021). After about 18 months of more frequent online lectures due to the Covid-19 pandemic, face-to-face learning will be held again by prioritizing practicum, studio, and field lectures.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The limited face-to-face learning process that has started in a number of schools is combined with distance learning at home. This hybrid model has become a new habit amid a situation that is still prone to the spread of Covid-19.

Based on observations at a number of schools across the country until Monday (27/9/2021), school policies to run limited face-to-face meetings (PTM) and online distance learning (PJJ) were adjusted to the conditions of each school. There are schools where all students study on campus, so teachers can focus on interacting with students in class, even if they take turns. However, there are also schools that run limited PTM and PJJ simultaneously.

The school principal of SMKN 38 state vocational high school in Jakarta, Ida Saidah, said teaching and learning activities were still limited. The school allows only three grades at a time to come to the campus on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Every day, only three groups of student study in class for four hours.

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In implementing a combined learning system, teachers must be able to teach students at school and online at the same time. According to Ida, the learning model is constrained by the availability of teaching tools. She also doubts that her students, the majority of whom are Jakarta Smart Card beneficiaries (or low-income families), are able to attend four hours of online classes using their own devices or internet quota.

"Now, a lot of funds have not been disbursed. The Education Operational Assistance fund is not disbursed, we cannot move because the local administration focuses on handling Covid-19. We understand," she said.

At SMAN 25 state high school in Jakarta, the school provides one tripod for each class. Tripods are used to support teachers\' smartphones during teaching.

The phone camera is positioned in a way to highlight the whiteboard. This enables students who are tuning in from home to see what the teacher has written and taught in class.

"For the time being, we are using the teachers\' cell phones," said the principal of SMAN 25, Saryanti.

KOMPAS/SEKAR GANDHAWANGI

Learning activities at SMAN 25 Jakarta on Friday (24/9/2021). SMAN 25 Jakarta is one of the schools that holds limited face-to-face learning (PTM) as of August 30, 2021. Only 50 percent of students can take part in PTM of the maximum capacity, while others take lessons from home. Teachers also conduct mixed online and offline learning.

The acting principal of SMPN 5 state junior high school in Yogyakarta, Retna Wuryaningsih, said the PTM was limited to 50 percent of students. Meanwhile, the remaining have PJJ from home.

Meanwhile, at SD Kartika IV-6 elementary school in Malang, East Java, the PTM is divided into two classes. All students enter at the same time (no online classes, because parents allow offline classes). Even though they join class simultaneously, the teacher\'s concentration can remain focused. This is because the subjects in the two classes are different.

In accordance with the education ministry’s learning implementation guidelines, in every school there must be a Covid-19 task force that is obliged to cooperate with the local health service facility, such as the community health center (Puskesmas). If a Covid-19 case is found, the task force will report it and immediately carry out tests, tracking and handling. In addition, PTM activities would be suspended for three days.

Three education centers

The coordinator of the Education and Teachers Association, Satriawan Salim, said in an online discussion on Monday that from a survey of teachers regarding the readiness of PTM 2021, PJJ is not attractive to students because teachers seem "stuck" giving assignments to each subject lesson. Subject teachers in schools are not yet used to collaborating to create learning projects that combine many subjects with similar basic competencies.

The National Coordinator of the Indonesian Home Schoolers’ Association, Ellen Nugroho, said that what is happening now is that learning at school is moved to the home, but the method remains the same as in the classroom. Meanwhile, children study online all day long, staring at screens.

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“Obviously, the PJJ method is a way of learning that is not child and brain-friendly, ineffective. Can teachers and school managements reflect on the essence of education from this pandemic situation?” said Ellen.

Learning, she added, needed a drive from within the child. Therefore, learning must be contextual and adapted to the conditions and abilities of each child. (ELN/SKA/ERK/HRS/ DIA/JOL/AIN)

This article was translated by Kurniawan Siswoko.