TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Banten Governor Wahidin Halim permitted schools in areas with poor internet signal and must have practicum classes to carry out limited, face-to-face learning activities. The offline classes will be supported by school facilities and under strict health protocols.

Wahidin said on Monday that his province was still enforcing the Large-Scale Social Restriction (PSBB) in an effort to contain the COVID-19 pandemic so that schools are predicted to reopen in December 2020. In the meantime, learning activities are held online.

“I don’t want new COVID-19 clusters, and we must stay vigilant to this pandemic,” he asserted.

However, schools are allowed to reopen under strict health protocols and must follow the academic calendar of the 2020-2021 school year, which starts on Monday, July 13, 2020.

Wahidin also explained during a meeting with the principal of Tangerang state schools that education institutions willing to reopen are permitted to use the school operational assistance (BOSDA) from the Banten provincial budget to provide the internet quota for students.

“Don’t let this become a new burden for parents,” he added.

Meanwhile, practicum classes usually held by the vocational schools are also permissible in a limited capacity of students per class or the class is divided into several shifts so that the physical distancing order and health protocols can still be adopted properly.

Read also: Surabaya High School Introduces Learning Format Amid COVID-19

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