Vice President Ensures Student Safety Remains a Priority Amid Forest and Land Fires

Palangka Raya – Vice President Gibran Rakabuming inspected educational facilities amid ongoing forest and land fires, or karhutla, which have affected air quality in several parts of Kalimantan.

The Vice President visited SDN 2 Petuk Katimpun in Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan, as well as the Integrated Sekolah Rakyat 9 in Banjarbaru, South Kalimantan, on Thursday (September 10, 2026). The visits were aimed at ensuring that learning activities could continue while prioritizing the safety and health of students.

During the visits, Gibran paid particular attention to schools’ readiness to adjust learning activities in response to air quality conditions caused by haze. He said children are among the most vulnerable groups, making the protection of their health an important part of the response to forest and land fires.

“What matters most is that the children remain safe and healthy. Adjustments to learning methods and schedules must take into account air quality and the students’ health,” Gibran said.

He stressed that if air quality deteriorates, schools and local governments must be prepared to make further adjustments to learning activities.

In addition to the learning process, Gibran called on schools to strengthen measures to protect students’ health. One of the steps is to optimize the role of school health units (UKS) and strengthen coordination with nearby community health centers.

“Activate the school health units and coordinate with the nearest community health centers so that students who fall ill can receive immediate treatment,” he said.

The Vice President also emphasized the importance of educating students and the public on how to protect themselves during periods of haze. Wearing masks and limiting activities that could pose health risks are among the protective measures that should be taken.

According to Gibran, efforts to address forest and land fires should not focus solely on extinguishing hotspots. Protecting the public, particularly children as a vulnerable group, while ensuring the continuity of essential public services must also go hand in hand.

The inspection of educational facilities was part of the Vice President’s broader visit to Kalimantan to directly assess efforts to tackle forest and land fires and their impact on local communities.