Bangladesh orders schools, colleges to be ready for in-person lesson restart

The government has ordered the high schools and colleges to prepare for in-person reopening with measures to protect students, teachers and support staff from the coronavirus amid the pandemic.

The Directorate of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education wrote to the heads of the institutions on Friday asking them to complete the preparations within Feb 4 so that they can restart anytime amid the coronavirus crisis. 

All the educational institutions have been closed since mid-March 2020 due to the outbreak. The government has extended the shutdown of schools a number of times until Jan 30.

Life has returned to almost normal even though some restrictions are in place, but the government has been insisting that the educational institutions will not reopen until the situation normalises.

The directorate said it has made a guideline considering the importance of the health of the students, teachers and staff of the educational institutions.

The directorate overseeing educational institutions at the secondary and higher secondary levels said all the institutions need to be transformed into healthy and joyful places permanently, and the work should be done now marking the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Education Minister Dipu Moni had earlier indicated that the schools and other educational institutions could reopen in February.

Efforts were underway to hold in-person classes for HSC candidates from February to May, with the government planning to hold the HSC exams from July-August, she had said.

"If the situation is favourable, we will try to hold the SSC exams in June 2021. We will try to reopen the schools. Students of class 10 and 12 should be able to take exams based on the new syllabus," the minister said.

An official said the education ministry, and the primary and mass education ministry sat on Thursday to reach a decision on the reopening of the schools.

They agreed to seek Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s directive on the matter.