Online or Offline Education System?

    Has it ever crossed your mind that the education system in Indonesia will return to normal as before? Yes, a question like this has crossed your mind at least once or twice. Maybe for some people, the current education system is advantageous because it has several reasons: being able to gather with their family at home, being flexible and practical. They use cell phones and laptops as intermediaries for teaching and learning activities, meaning they do not need to carry books or bags because everything is available in their respective homes. However, many people find this system difficult for teachers and students because this is the first time it is being implemented in all schools in Indonesia, and many things must be prepared. And I prefer the offline education system, which has more advantages than the online education system.

    This offline education system is implemented in a school environment, without intermediaries, and is carried out face-to-face between students and teachers. The survey conducted (by Ditjen Dikti Kemendikbud) states that 90% of students prefer this system. This system also has several advantages over the online education system itself, that is:

    First, we do not have to worry about being constrained by an unstable network, running out of packets, or even we have not to worry anymore about downloading which files and applications will burden our cellphone.

    Second,  we no longer need to be late in doing assignments, filling in attendance, or even late for class because of network problems, quota problems, or any problems. The offline education system does not rely on all of these. 

    In this education system, students and teachers hold teaching and learning activities face to face in the classroom. And this system can also make teachers freer to convey what they want to explain.

     Third, health problems when we do online classes or do an assignment. We will always stare at the screens of smartphones and laptops for hours, where the back will always be bent and not straight, it can cause pain if it continues, and for the eyes automatically, it will make eyes tired and dizzy. If it continues will cause damage to the eye. And studies have indicated that unnecessary use of smartphones affects human psychology. Excessive smartphone usage reduces an individual's social implication in the real world and, therefore, his psychological well-being because it provides a kind of isolation, solitude, and depression.

    So, the offline education system is superior to the online-based education system implemented during the current pandemic. The Ministry of Education and Culture has sought solutions to the shortcomings of this online system, one of which is free quota assistance, and sometimes the quota provided by the government cannot be used commonly when the central allocation has run out. And I hope this pandemic will end soon because I want to feel the classroom atmosphere again without any intermediaries or network constraints.