TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Director-General of Early Childhood, Elementary, and Middle School Education at the Education and Culture Ministry, Jumeri, said that the joint ministerial decree (SKB) regarding the rules for reopening schools in the 2021 academic year will not be revoked albeit many regional governments decided to postpone face-to-face learning activities.

The joint ministerial decree (SKB) issued on November 20, 2020, was signed by the Minister of Education and Culture, Minister of Religious Affairs, Minister of Health, and Minister of Home Affairs.

“This SKB will not be annulled because it is right [for the government] to give the authority to the regions [on school reopening]. Local governments know the best about the dynamics of the Covid-19 pandemic in their respective regions,” said Jumeri in a media briefing on Tuesday, January 5, 2021.

He outlined that 14 provinces are ready to reopen schools, four provinces planned to implement a 'blended learning' system which is the combination of face-to-face learning and remote learning, and 16 provinces are determined to stick with an online learning system.

Jumeri said that all decisions related to the education activities depended on each region. The joint ministerial decree, he added, noted a complete guide for the face-to-face learning for the even semester of the 2020/2021 academic year starting from the permission, procedures, up to the precondition, and the health protocols that must be complied with.

Read: High COVID-19 Trend; Jakarta to Stick with Online Learning

DEWI NURITA