C T Online Desk: Secondary schools, colleges and universities across Bangladesh reopened on Tuesday after a month-long closure amid violation of health regulations.
Students of different schools and colleges said they were happy to see their in-person classes resumed as they believed it would help them complete syllabuses on time.
The violation of health regulations, including not wearing masks and maintaining social distances, were seen at the entrance and exit points of the educational institutions, especially in schools and colleges.
The students, who did not receive two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, were asked to attend classes online or through television.
The in-person classes in the primary level schools are scheduled to resume on March 2.
On January 21, the government announced the closure of schools, colleges and equivalent educational institutions across the country till February 6 to contain Covid-19.
The closure of educational institutions was later extended for two more weeks.
The educational institutions were reopened at a time when authorities announced a tentative schedule for Secondary School Certificate and equivalent examinations and Higher Secondary Certificate and equivalent examinations this year.
Dhaka Education Board on February 20 said that the SSC and equivalent examinations of 2022 would be held in June and the HSC and equivalent examinations of 2022 would be held in August.
In this regard, the National Curriculum and Textbook Board also revised the syllabuses of Bangla second, English first and second papers of SSC, HSC and equivalent examinations.
‘It’s good to come back to school again as we hope now we can complete our syllabus in time before the examinations,’ said Zaheen, an SSC candidate of Dhanmondi Government Boys’ High School.
His classmate Anannya said that the learning speed was always fast at physical classes.
‘At home, we cannot pay as much attention to study as we do in in-person classes,’ he said, adding that the attendance in classes was low.
Both of them were double-vaccinated.
Two Class X students of Kakoli High School, Raihan and Raihanur, said that they were happy to join in-person classes again.
‘But in our class, some students did not wear masks,’ said Raihan.
Huge people, including the guardians and students, were seen gathering in front of Dhaka City College gates on the day.
Four BBA students, Maisha, Luna, Habiba and Aruna were standing while Luna was not wearing a mask. She also did not take any dose of the vaccine.
Maisha told New Age that she took only the first dose of Covid vaccines.
As per government directive, the in-person classes for the students of VI-IX are scheduled to be held one day a week and for the candidates of the SSC, HSC and equivalent examinations and the students of Class V on every workday.
Some private schools, however, announced that in-person classes for VI-IX students would be held on every workday.
Similar reports were received from New Age correspondents in Chattogram, Khulna, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Rangpur, Mymensingh, Gazipur and Jashore.
Different public and private universities also resumed in-person classes across the country on the day.
At a programme held in the capital, education minister Dipu Moni on Tuesday urged all guardians, teachers and students to follow the health rules strictly,
‘We don’t want to close educational institutions again due to the Covid-19 outbreak,’ a press release issued by the ministry quoted her as saying.
The education minister on February 17 said only the students, who received the second dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, would be allowed to attend in-person classes strictly complying with all health regulations.
Earlier, the government kept all educational institutions shut for more than one and a half years between March 18, 2020 and September 11, 2021 due to the Covid situation.
According to a UNICEF report, Bangladesh has seen the second longest closure of schools in the world due to Covid-19.
The long closure of educational institutions due to Covid-19 has caused enormous learning losses among students countrywide, said educationists, adding that a comprehensive and long-term recovery plan is needed to minimise the losses.
In the absence of such a plan, the losses will have a lasting impact on students lacking grade-level basic competencies and basic socialisation, they also said.
