VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Secretary general of Education and Culture Ministry, Ainun Naim. (ANTARA/Indriani/sh)

The Ministry of Education and Culture is evaluating the possibility of resuming face-to-face learning in schools outside the COVID-19 green zones.

"Indeed, we put in priority the safety and health (of students and teachers), but at the same time, we have to maintain the learning process. We are evaluating on how schools in zones other than green zones can conduct face-to-face learning with minimum risk," the ministry's secretary general, Ainun Naim, said in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Under the joint ministerial decree on guidance for learning process during the COVID-19 pandemic, only schools in green zones have been allowed to gradually resume offline schooling.

In the first stage of school reopening, only senior and junior high schools students would have face-to-face classes. They would be followed by students of elementary schools and extraordinary schools (SLB) after two months, and early childhood education (PAUD) after another two months.

The ministry's director general for Early Childhood Education, Elementary and High School, Jumeri, said the joint decree has laid down steps for reopening schools, including those in non-green zones. "We are still intensively discussing the matter,” Jumeri added.

The ministry has lauded 418 district and city administrations for adhering to the joint ministerial decree on the learning process.

The ministry said 79 districts/cities have violated the decree. Of the 79 regions, there are 18 green zones, 39 yellow zones, 20 orange zones, and 2 red zones. (ANTARA)