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School reopening plan in doubt amid COVID-19 surge
Parents are still hesitant about allowing their children go to school for in-class learning amid a recent COVID-19 surge in Indonesia.
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A teacher tells students to practice physical distancing at SD Kenari 08 state elementary school in Jakarta on June 9, 2021. (Antara/Aprillio Akbar)
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s Indonesia struggles to contain a recent COVID-19 case surge that hit not only adults but also children, parents are in doubt about sending their children back to school over fear for their safety.
One such parent is Lenny Herawati, 48, who has had more than her fair share of fighting against COVID-19. She lost her father in January after her whole family tested positive for the disease, including her 17-year-old son Sean who had been infected twice.
Having been a survivor of the disease herself, Lenny was unwilling to follow the government’s recent plan to reopen and send children back to school in July.
“I would have a problem if we’re forced to go with in-class learning,” the private employee told The Jakarta Post on Monday.
Many parents of students in Sean’s school, Al Jabr Islamic School in South Jakarta, shared Lenny’s sentiment. They thought the ongoing vaccination drive would be insufficient in protecting them from the virus.
In several cities, health authorities have started vaccinating all residents aged 18 and older, with 5 million teachers in priority groups to receive the jab before July to allow schools to reopen. However, the official data in early June revealed that only around 1.5 million teachers had been vaccinated.
