Since the schools closed, ibu Tersih has to spend five extra hours each day teaching online and preparing educational materials. She couldn’t wait to see some of her students in person again in the new school year, but the emergency restrictions on public activities (PPKM Darurat) mean things aren’t really going to get back to normal anytime soon.

She closed her laptop and sighed, “When is this going to end?”

Even in normal times, Indonesian teachers reported extreme stress due to overwork, poor working conditions and the need to keep up with policy changes. The pandemic only makes the situation worse.

For teachers, the transition to online education has increased mental pressures as they are expected to adapt, plan, and teach while dealing with the constraints of distance learning, such as bad …