Vice Ma’ruf Amin after lunch with representatives of scholars, boarding schools and Islamic religious organizations at the Presidential Palace in Jakarta, Friday (17/7). Photo: Antara / Deputy Assistant of Public Information and Communication (KIP) Setwapres
jpnn.com, JAKARTA – Islamic boarding schools can become a new cluster of COVID-19 distribution if prevention is not carried out by preparing procedures for the acceptance of santri according to the health protocol.
“If it is not well prepared, this (pesantren) could become a new cluster. This is what I am more afraid of,” Vice President Ma’ruf Amin said in a video uploaded on the official Youtube account of the Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia, Sunday (7/19).
The spread of COVID-19 among Islamic boarding schools can occur quickly because generally students and caregivers or teachers come from various regions.
Therefore, he said, the preparation of tests and the provision of health facilities in Islamic boarding schools must be ensured that they are ready before accepting students to return to the dormitory.
“If this pesantren is not prepared, it can be dangerous. (For example) Children come, then some are exposed, then it can become a new cluster at the pesantren,” he added.
In addition, Ma’ruf continued, many pesantren with inadequate conditions to be inhabited in groups, especially the bedroom space that is filled by students with more than the capacity should be.
“There are many pesantren whose places are attached, (there are) one room that should be five people but it is used for 15 people. I am an pesantren alumni, so I know, that pesantren is just like that,” he said.
Therefore, Ma’ruf asked all boarding school administrators to apply strict health protocol when they want to restart face-to-face teaching and learning activities.
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