Strategies for optimizing learning activities during the pandemic and new normal

This study aimed to investigate the government’s and parents’ strategies for optimizing learning activities during the pandemic and the new normal in Langsa City, Indonesia, after the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country. Using a structural-functionalist methodology It was assumed that the COVID-19 pandemic triggered change in society as a whole—change in one part would affect other parts—and that in order for education to operate smoothly in society, the government and parents must adapt to the necessary change. To provide empirical data for the study, in-depth interviews were conducted with the head of the educational and cultural office, the head of the religious department, elementary through secondary school teachers, and parents. The government implemented strategies such as school closures and the introduction of online learning, internet quotas for students and teachers, home visits to areas with poor internet signals, and time shifting classes to prevent overcrowding. The government instituted competitions for best school, best teacher, best staff, and best student awards during the new normal in an effort to rekindle students’ interest in learning and teachers’ participation in class. Nonetheless, the pandemic had a positive effect on students’ attitudes toward online learning and parents’ attitudes toward their children’s education. The study concluded that, in the face of a pandemic, government, teacher, and parent cooperation, as well as the ability to adapt to change, were the keys to the success of children’s education under any circumstance.