Pangkalpinang, Bangka Belitung (ANTARA) - The Bangka Belitung provincial government implements face-to-face learning (PTM) for high schools, vocational schools, and their equivalent in a gradual manner as a precautionary measure against a spike in COVID-19 cases in schools.
"This PTM will be held on January 10, 2022, by implementing stringent health protocols," Governor of Bangka Belitung Erzaldi Rosman Djohan noted here on Saturday.
Face-to-face learning for Bangka Belitung's high schools, vocational schools, and special schools for the even semester of the 2021-2022 learning period refers to the Four Ministers Joint Decree (SKB).
The decree stipulates that all districts or cities in Bangka Belitung are in the yellow zone, or low-risk zone, which makes limited offline schooling achievable.
"This gradual PTM will be later adjusted in accordance with the condition of each region. To this end, we remind teachers and students to implement health protocols as best as they can," he affirmed.
The governor expects schools, teachers, and students to not allow health protocols to become a pretext to not innovate while developing PTM.
"When the PTM process is conducted half-heartedly or with fear, I believe that what we hope to achieve with this PTM would not be successful," he affirmed.
Djohan urged schools to immediately operate facilities to support the implementation of health protocols, such as hand-washing stations, distance between desks, and vaccination examination, especially for teachers.
He also requested teachers to diligently record data of the students' parents that have not yet been vaccinated on account of the fact that Bangka Belitung's vaccination coverage has only reached 83 percent.
This percentage is primarily dominated by citizens outside Bangka Belitung or those holding non-Bangka Belitung identity cards, which means there are still several Bangka Belitung residents that have not been vaccinated, he highlighted.
Acting Head of Bangka Belitung's Education Office Ervawi remarked that limited face-to-face learning should be conducted with adherence to stringent health protocols by adopting a clean and healthy lifestyle and be monitored by regional governments.
"If they feel that they are ready to implement 100-percent PTM and the status level is at 1 and 2, then the districts or cities education office should coordinate with the districts or cities' COVID-19 task force to observe their readiness," Ervawi noted.
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