Call for quick school restart after vaccinating children

Twenty-one national and international development organisations under the ‘Safe Back to School’ campaign have urged the government to reopen schools quickly after inoculating children against COVID-19.

The call was made on Thursday to mark the anniversary of the campaign, according to a press release.

The government announced the closure of educational institutions temporarily on Jan 21 with coronavirus cases rising since December due to the highly-infectious omicron strain.

Education Minister Dipu Moni had said at the time that they ordered the educational institutions shut due to an increase in coronavirus infection among children.

Initially, schools and colleges were to remain closed until Feb 6, which was later extended by two more weeks.

"In order to keep the children safe, instead of keeping the schools closed, they should return to normal life accepting the reality of coronavirus, while ensuring proper maintenance of hygiene and government’s guidelines,” the press release read.

The development organisations thanked the government for lowering the age limit and bringing 12-16 year old children under the COVID vaccination.

The government had shut down all educational institutions on Mar 17, 2020 for more than one and a half years to check the outbreak of the COVID-19 in the country.

Later, in-person classes resumed on Sep 12, 2021, when the coronavirus infection ebbed. However, on Jan 21, the government announced the closure of schools and colleges again.

The organisations argued that prolonged school closures disrupt the normal development of children, affect their mental health, due to lack of equal opportunities online, education activities become irregular, leading to child marriage, involvement in work and increased violence against children.

The children may face the same problem as the school is closed again, they added in the media statement.

The organisations that are steering the campaign are - BRAC, British Council, Campaign for Popular Education, Dhaka Ahsania Mission, Educo Bangladesh, FIVDB, Friendship, Habitat for Humanity Bangladesh, Handicap International – Humanity & Inclusion, Jagoroni Chakra Foundation, Leonard Cheshire, Plan International Bangladesh, Room to Read Bangladesh, Save the Children in Bangladesh, Sightsavers Bangladesh, Sesame Workshop Bangladesh, Stromme Foundation, Teach for Bangladesh, VSO, World Vision Bangladesh and YPSA.