By Martina Jemiman, S.Pd.

A.        Introduction

The world of education is currently faced with challenges in carrying out learning activities. The world of education is faced with unexpected problems, never even thought. This situation requires that learning process is not carried out properly. Between educators and students can no longer do face-to-face learning in schools, while learning process is required to continue and be carried out in a planned manner as before. Therefore, the world of education is required to respond these conditions and situations, so that learning process continues to run well.

Learning is one of the most influential means in giving birth and forming students as qualified human beings and ready to compete in the future in all areas of life, having character, personality, integrity, and being able to keep up with technological developments at the time. knowledge and skills for the provision of life skills in the future.

In this context, educators who are faced with these situations and conditions, do not mean that their duties and obligations are reduced. Instead, an educator who is able to provide services in the learning process is more creative, innovative, fun with a variety of methods, media, and learning models even if it is done online or virtual through the Zoom application, Google Meet, Google Classroom, Google Form, and others. Educators must be more motivated to give their knowledge, show their capability in teaching and educating also facilitating  students in learning process. Moreover, educators must increasingly realize to achieve the goals of national education. Educators must be enthusiastic, faithful, innovated to continue to improve the skill of the students, create an active generation who will ready to face the challenges in life.

Strong educators need to be grown during this pandemic to be able to maintain the learning process according to their image. Educators must collaborate with parents or guardians of students to be able to realize the goals of education itself. Even though in reality the virtual learning atmosphere is like this, sometimes it creates a sense of boredom from the various parties involved. Of course, the toughness of educators is needed. Educators who are tough in carrying out their duties must show high spirits. Whatever the circumstances, strong educators continue to make new innovations in the learning process.

B.        Learning Challenge

The implementation of the physical distancing policy which later became the basis for implementing learning from home, with the sudden use of information technology, often surprised educators and students, including parents and even everyone in the house. Information technology learning has indeed been implemented in recent years in the education system in Indonesia. However, online learning that took place as a surprise from the Covid-19 pandemic, shocked almost all lines, from districts/cities, provinces, centers and even the international community.

As the spearhead at the lowest level of an educational institution, school principals are required to make quick decisions in response to a circular letter from the Minister of Education and Culture that requires schools to implement learning from home. Educators were surprised because they had to change the system, syllabus and learning process quickly. Students stammered because they got a pile of assignments while studying from home. Meanwhile, parents of students feel stressed when accompanying the learning process with assignments, in addition to having to think about the survival of their respective lives and jobs in the midst of a crisis.

So, these obstacles are an important note for our education world, which must catch up with online learning quickly. In fact, not all technically and systems are ready. So far, online learning is only a concept, as a technical tool, not as a way of thinking, as a learning paradigm. In fact, online learning is not a method to change face-to-face learning with digital applications, nor does it burden students with piles of assignments every day. Online learning should encourage students to be creative, access as many sources of knowledge as possible, produce works, hone insights and ultimately shape students into lifelong learners.

From these challenges, we must dare to take steps to make online learning an opportunity to transform our education. There are several steps that can be considered together in improving our education system, especially regarding online learning:

First, all teachers must be able to teach remotely. Increasing the competence of educators at all levels to use distance learning applications is absolutely necessary.

Second, the use of technology is not arbitrary. There is special knowledge so that the use of technology can be a tool to realize the goals of education. Online learning does not only move the face-to-face process using digital applications, accompanied by piling up tasks. Educational technology design systems for online learning to be effective, taking into account specific educational goals.

Third, online learning patterns must be part of all learning even if only as a complement. The point is that teachers get used to teaching online. The sudden implementation of the online learning system took most educators by surprise. In the future, there must be a system change policy for the implementation of online learning in every subject. Teachers must have implemented technology-based learning according to the capacity and availability of technology.

Fourth, teachers must have online learning equipment. The minimum ICT equipment that teachers must have is a laptop and video conferencing support tools. The existence of a minimum device that must be owned by teachers really needs to be considered together, both the district/city, provincial and central governments including parents for schools run by the community.

Fifth, the digital infrastructure gap between big cities and regions must be bridged with affirmative technology policies for underserved areas. Internet access must be expanded and the speed capacity must also be increased.

The Covid-19 pandemic has been a shock to all of us. The world seemed to slow down and even stopped for a moment. Large and modern countries have been hit hard by the rapid spread of the Corona Virus, resulting in thousands of deaths spread across various countries. Indonesia has faced many challenges from Covid-19, which makes us all have to work together to take care of each other. In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, our education system must be ready to make a leap to transform online learning for all students and by all teachers. We are entering a new era to build creativity, hone student skills, and improve self-quality by changing systems, perspectives and patterns of our interaction with technology.

C.        Role of Parent/Guardian

Since the implementation of Distance Learning (PJJ) as a result of the Covid-19 Pandemic, there have been very significant changes in the teaching and learning process. Face-to-face learning activities turned into distance learning activities (online). There are so many duties and functions of educators that must be replaced by parents/guardians of students. Parents/guardians replace the role of teachers to educate and teach children directly when children learn from home.

During this distance learning period, there are four very important roles for parents in helping their children, namely:

1.       As a teacher at home. Parents are in charge of guiding and supervising children during online learning.

2.       As a facilitator. Parents provide the facilities and infrastructure that children need during the online learning process at home.

3.       As a motivator. Parents must be able to motivate children to be enthusiastic about participating in the online learning process.

4.       As a director. Parents play a role in directing children to want to take part in the online learning process.

Based on the four things above, it can be concluded that parents/guardians of students are the main actors in the current online learning process. However, based on research from LIPI researchers, there are several things that become challenges for parents when accompanying their children. study. From the Tanoto Foundation survey, it is stated that around 56 percent of parents are impatient in assisting and handling their children's ability to concentrate while studying. In addition, KPAI also mentioned that there was an increase in children experiencing physical and psychological violence during the pandemic. In addition to these problems, several other obstacles include:

1.       Not all parents have time to accompany their children to study during a pandemic due to other responsibilities such as work or household chores

2.       Parents find it difficult to understand lessons    and motivate children when learning.

The obstacles as mentioned above can only be overcome if there is cooperation between the school committee and the school. There must be synergy between educational institutions and parents/guardians of students.