goodmorningpapua.com – Because of an encouragement from the Minister of Education, Culture, Research and Technology Nadiem Makarim asking for schools to be reopened, not all teachers in Papua have received the COVID-19 vaccine. The Papua Regional Education, Library and Archives Office stated that there are 22,000 teachers in Papua, and it is estimated that only around 50 percent have undergone the COVID-19 vaccination.
It was stated by the Papuan Department of Education, Libraries and Regional Archives (DPPAD), Christian Sohilait. Sohilait stated that the estimation of 50 percent vaccination coverage for teachers was based on an interim report from the district/city Education Office in Papua.
Sohilait stated that his party was still waiting for official data from the Papua Health Service regarding the scope of the COVID-19 vaccination for teachers there. He is also trying to get updated data from the district/city Education Office regarding the COVID-19 vaccination coverage for teachers.
Sohilait requested the assistance of the district/city Education Office to immediately report the data. “But what is clear is that the data we have is more than half. We are waiting for the latest data. That’s the problem, we can’t waste any data, because it has to be one door. All data is from the COVID-19 Task Force,” said Sohilait.
He stated that one of the areas with COVID-19 vaccination coverage for good teachers was Merauke Regency. Teachers in Merauke are enthusiastic about undergoing COVID-19 vaccination, so the Indonesian Teachers Association (PGRI) Merauke also organizes mass COVID-19 vaccinations for its members.
Sohilait stated that face-to-face teaching and learning activities in Papua will begin in early July 2021. However, he ensured that new teaching and learning activities will be held by all teachers in Papua who have been vaccinated against COVID-19.
The head of SMA Negeri 1 Jayapura, Musa Msiren, said his school was ready to carry out face-to-face teaching and learning activities if there was permission from the Papua DPPAD and the Jayapura City Education Office. “We are all ready, with still observance of health protocols. That is a main priority,” said Musa Msiren recently.
However, Msiren asked the local government to strictly control schools with large numbers of students. In his opinion, this control must be carried out by involving various stakeholders in school administration.
Msiren gave an example about providing of masks and hand sanitizers in the school environment, so as not to burden the school budget. “Because, schools are not able to handle these things if we meet face to face. If we talk about transportation, maybe the Papua Provincial Transportation Service will prepare transportation so that children are comfortable from home to school, with predetermined routes,” he said.