MBG programme unchanged despite remote learning rumours: BGN
BGN Deputy Head Sonny Sanjaya labeled the information as false, underscoring that “the government has not even decided on a policy on online learning for schoolchildren” despite speculations linked to fuel-saving plans.
He emphasized that BGN is still referring to the default distribution mechanism, delivering MBG meals to students only during in-person classes.
On that note, he appealed to the public to exercise prudence in sifting information, particularly unverified pieces circulating on social media. He stressed that BGN provides official information on MBG only through credible communication channels.
“If there will be a new policy, including one dictating online learning, we will first study it and officially announce our move,” Sanjaya affirmed.
He added that the agency remains committed to enforcing standards of quality, nutrition, and management in the MBG program to ensure equitable benefits for schoolchildren across Indonesia.
The clarification came amid public discussions regarding the possibility of the government turning to mandatory remote learning for schools—similar to protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic—to conserve fuel in anticipation of shortages caused by the Middle East war.
Though the government has not officially addressed the option, it has been opposed by legislator Esti Wijayanti, deputy chair of Commission X of the House of Representatives (DPR).
In a Monday (March 23) statement, she urged the government to reflect on the implementation of such a policy during the pandemic, warning that remote learning had “left significant problems for our education system.”
The lawmaker argued that such settings were counterproductive, undermining children’s learning capacity, discipline, and character formation, while also exposing technological limitations.
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Translator: Lintang Budiyanti, Tegar Nurfitra