The haze caused by forest and land fires (karhutla) continuing to\nenvelop Pontianak, West Kalimantan, has prompted the Pontianak City\nGovernment to once again extend its online learning policy.<\/p>\n
Schools at the kindergarten, primary, and junior high levels will\nremain closed for in-person activities for the next week. This policy\nwas implemented because air quality is deemed not to have improved,\nraising concerns regarding the health of children.<\/p>\n
The Mayor of Pontianak, Edi Rusdi Kamtono, stated that teaching and\nlearning activities will temporarily be conducted from home until\nweather and air quality conditions improve.<\/p>\n
\u201cLearning activities within the school environment are still\nsuspended, and for now, learning is conducted online until the weather\nimproves. This is because the haze remains thick as of today,\u201d Edund\nsaid in Pontianak on Sunday, 30 August 2026.<\/p>\n
A primary reason for the government extending online learning is the\nincreasing number of acute respiratory infection (ISPA) cases in the\nregion.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are seeing 300 ISPA cases per day in Pontianak, so we do not want\nthis to continue and increase,\u201d Edi added.<\/p>\n
This policy of learning from home due to haze is not the first time\nit has been implemented. As of late August 2026, online learning has\nreportedly been in effect for approximately three weeks.<\/p>\n
The extension of the policy also applies to senior high school\nstudents, in accordance with a letter from the West Kalimantan\nProvincial Education Office addressed to the principals of public and\nprivate SMA, SMK, and SLB schools across West Kalimantan, dated 29\nAugust 2026.<\/p>\n
For teachers, the situation has also impacted the effectiveness of\nthe teaching and learning process.<\/p>\n
Diana Cristy Nainggolan, a primary school teacher in Pontianak,\nadmitted that learning activities have become limited since schools were\nclosed for two weeks due to the forest fires.<\/p>\n
\u201cLearning activities have become very limited and less effective. We\nhope that Pontianak and its surrounding areas receive widespread rain\nsoon, and that the local government can also strengthen forest fire\nmanagement so that activities can return to normal,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Although in-person learning has been temporarily suspended, the\npublic services of the Pontianak City Government continue to\noperate.<\/p>\n
Edi ensured that public services within the Pontianak City Government\nenvironment remain active. However, employees experiencing health issues\nare permitted to work from home.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/thickening-haze-forces-schools-in-pontianak-to-return-to-online-learning-for-next-week-1788090777", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }