Smoke from Kalimantan Fires Prompts Home Learning for Madrasah Students

Students at Islamic preschools, madrasahs and boarding schools in North Kalimantan will study from home where wildfire smoke has made face-to-face classes unsafe.

Muh. Saleh, head of the provincial Religious Affairs Ministry office, said protecting students, teachers, education staff and pesantren supervisors was the priority. “In conditions like these, the most important thing is the safety of lives,” he said in a statement issued in Jakarta.

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In conditions like these, the most important thing is the safety of lives. Our children, teachers, education staff, pesantren supervisors and all members of education units must be protected from the effects of wildfire smoke.

The ministry is applying a directive that permits temporary changes to education arrangements at Raudhatul Athfal schools, madrasahs, pesantren and Islamic religious colleges affected by forest and land fires. The decision will vary by area, depending on the severity of the haze.

Saleh said lessons would continue, but not at the expense of the health and safety of education communities. “Learning must continue, but safety must not be compromised,” he said. Areas with air quality unsuitable for classroom teaching can therefore shift temporarily to home learning.

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Learning must continue, but safety must not be compromised. We do not want children to come to school when air conditions do not yet allow it.