August 21, 2026 | 10:41 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Abdul Mu’ti, has handed over the continuity of teaching and learning activities at schools affected by forest fires in several areas of Kalimantan to local governments. According to him, local governments have the authority to determine learning methods according to the conditions of their regions.
“However, in accordance with the standard procedures, we emphasize that the safety and health of students should be a priority,” said Mu’ti when met at the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education building in Jakarta on Friday, August 21, 2026.
According to Mu’ti, local governments can transition from face-to-face learning to distance learning if the haze poses an increasing health hazard in the area. He believes that online and distance learning is not something new for the Indonesian education system after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“With this policy, hopefully our children's health and safety can be maintained, and they can continue to learn to the best of their ability. Hopefully, the haze can be resolved soon,” he said.
As of today, Mu’ti admitted that he has not been able to provide information about the condition of schools affected by the haze from forest fires in Kalimantan. He stated that his ministry is still awaiting the latest reports from local governments regarding the situation.
At present, Mu’ti mentioned that the central government also needs to focus on the earthquake disaster that occurred in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). “We are focusing on NTT, which was affected by a fairly strong earthquake,” he said.
In NTT, Mu’ti stated that his ministry has already dispatched teams and begun to set up emergency learning tents to ensure that educational activities continue.
As of Friday, August 21, 2026, haze from forest fires still enveloped several areas in South Kalimantan. The haze reportedly limited visibility and affected residents' health. The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) reported extensive fires in Paser Regency in East Kalimantan. The burned area in this region reached 25.29 hectares.
Furthermore, forest fires also occurred in several areas of Kutai Kartanegara Regency on Wednesday, August 19, 2026. The fires affected, among other places, Loa Gagak Village, Loa Kulu District; Spontan Mangkurawang Village, Tenggarong District; Pendingin Village, Sanga-Sanga District; Kayu Bata Village, Muara Muntai District; Muara Kembang Village, Muara Jawa District; and Kota Bangun Hulu Village, Kota Bangun District.
“The total burned area on that day reached 49.55 hectares, with the largest burned area in Pendingin Village, covering 42 hectares,” said Acting Head of the BNPB Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Center, Berton S. P. Panjaitan, in his written statement on August 21, 2026.
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