Minister prioritises student safety amid Kalimantan forest fires
Minister of Primary and Secondary Education (Mendikdasmen) Abdul Mu’ti has emphasised that teaching and learning activities must prioritise the health and safety of students during forest and land fires (karhutla) on the island of Kalimantan.
He stressed that student safety and health are the priority in organising learning in areas of Kalimantan affected by fire smoke.
“We are still continuing to coordinate with regional governments because learning policy is institutionally under the authority of regional governments. However, in accordance with the standing procedures we have conveyed, the safety and health of students must be prioritised,” said Minister Mu’ti after attending the 2026 Handai Indonesia Appreciation event at Plaza Insan Berprestasi, Building A of the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education, Central Jakarta, on Friday afternoon.
He said that if environmental conditions do not yet allow face-to-face learning, regional governments may implement home learning or distance learning (PJJ).
According to him, distance learning can serve as an alternative because educational units in Indonesia already have experience implementing online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“If, for example, conditions do not yet allow learning to be held at school, it can be conducted at home or through distance learning. I think technologically we have also become accustomed to online learning since COVID-19,” he said.
He expressed hope that the policy will ensure the health and safety of students are maintained without neglecting the continuity of the learning process.
“Hopefully, with this policy, our children can remain healthy, remain safe, and continue learning as well as possible,” he said.
Regarding developments in handling the smoke in Kalimantan, Mu’ti said his ministry is still awaiting the latest reports from each regional government.
He explained that the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education is simultaneously handling the impact of a fairly high-magnitude earthquake in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).
“We are also at the same time focusing on NTT, which has been affected by an earthquake of quite high magnitude, and therefore the principle is always the same. The point is that we continue to prioritise student safety and learning can be carried out as long as it guarantees the safety of all students,” he stressed.