Jakarta. Indonesia has suspended the free meal rollout at schools affected by the Mount Anak Krakatau eruption.

BGN, the national nutrition agency that oversees the program, announced the temporary halt over the weekend following the remote learning instructions. Students in some parts of the country will return to the pandemic-style online classes starting on Monday, but how long this remote learning will go will depend on their subnational governments.

“We mainly take into account the safety of the students and the school staff when making this decision,” BGN spokesperson Khairul Hidayati was quoted as saying in a press statement.

Hida, short for Hidayati, went on to say that this suspension does not mean that the government is putting a stop to the program. “This is only temporary and will depend on how the situation unfolds in each region,” Hida said.

The agency will remain in contact with the sub-national government and other stakeholders for the program resumption.

Mount Anak Krakatau, which began erupting late on Friday night, has sent volcanic ash to some parts of the country.

The remote learning instructions also differ from one area to another.

Lampung, where the Anak Krakatau is administratively located, has its students stay home for two days until Tuesday.

Banten students will take online classes until Wednesday.

The capital Jakarta’s online classes have also begun on Monday. The local government will make further announcements as to when the right time will be to return to offline classes.

The volcanic ash has threatened air quality. The government has ordered the people to stay indoors when possible.

The free meal rollout is a centerpiece of President Prabowo Subianto’s election campaign.

Prabowo believes that feeding students across the archipelago nutritious meals can help combat malnutrition and catapult the economy via the local job creation at the kitchens and distribution sites.

Add as a preferred source on Google +