Bangladesh secondary schools, colleges to resume regular classes on Mar 15: education minister

The government will make a formal announcement on the matter soon, the minister said on Saturday.

“We have not been able to resume normal classes so far because of the coronavirus pandemic. But now the situation is normal, while students have also been vaccinated."

Although COVID-19 cases have been on the wane in recent weeks, secondary schools and colleges are still holding a limited number of in-person classes based on a revised schedule.

SSC examinees and 10th-graders are being taught four and three subjects respectively on weekdays.

Students of classes eight and nine are attending classes twice a week for three subjects, while sixth and seventh graders only have one class a week on one subject.

After more than a year and a half of closure amid the coronavirus pandemic, Bangladesh reopened schools in September 2021. Later, universities gradually returned to in-person classes as well.

But with the onset of the highly-infectious omicron strain, infections had been trending up since the start of 2022. In light of the soaring caseload, the government announced the closure of educational institutions on Jan 21.

At the time, the education minister said the decision was prompted by an increase in coronavirus infections among children.

Initially, the plan was to keep schools closed until Feb 6, but as the situation had not improved as much by then, the curbs on in-person learning and public gatherings were extended to Feb 21.

Despite the plans to resume classes in full swing, educational institutions will continue to teach an abbreviated syllabus formulated in the wake of the pandemic, according to Dipu Moni.

“Annual assessments will be based on the shortened syllabus. We don't want students to be under any pressure."