Bandung –
A quiet atmosphere was seen in the courtyard of SMAN 1 Bandung. There was no commotion of students in white and gray uniforms as usual at the school located on Jalan Dago.
All teaching and learning activities were moved to their respective homes, following the school’s policy of implementing distance learning due to the widespread demonstrations that ended in chaos in Bandung City.
This step was taken because the location of SMAN 1 Bandung is quite close to the action point, namely the area in front of the West Java DPRD Building to the Cikapayang intersection.
The distance from the school to that point is only about two kilometers, so it is considered to be in a red zone vulnerable to being affected by riots.
“Because according to media reports, it is very massive, that today there will be additional demonstrations. It just so happens that our school is also in the red zone. Because it is near the center point of the demonstration,” said the Vice Principal of Curriculum at SMAN 1 Bandung.
The Vice Principal emphasized that this distance learning policy was taken solely to avoid unwanted risks, especially concerning the safety of students and teaching staff.
These concerns are quite reasonable, considering that the demonstrations from Friday to early Saturday morning were marked by chaos. A number of public facilities on Jalan Diponegoro and Jalan Dago were damaged and even burned by the masses.
“Parents also strongly support this, because they are also very worried about the condition of the children if at any time these demonstrations appear in our area. That’s why parents strongly support this distance learning activity,” they said.
Even though the learning system is conducted online, the school still emphasizes discipline in reporting to teachers. Every teaching staff is required to provide proof of learning activities, from the material presented to documentation of online teaching photos.
“That they are in which class at a certain lesson hour, teaching what material, then photo evidence that the teachers have taught online,” explained the Vice Principal.
Distance learning at SMAN 1 Bandung is scheduled to last until September 4, 2025. However, the school remains open to the option of accelerating the return of face-to-face learning if the situation in Bandung is deemed conducive sooner.
“The plan is for us to go until the 4th. But if, for example, the situation suddenly becomes conducive, then we will return to normal learning, face-to-face as usual,” they stated.
