Govt may review decision on reopening edn institutions: Dipu Moni

Government decision to reopen schools, colleges and madrassahs on March 30 becomes uncertain as the country is now witnessing an increasing trend of COVID-19 infection.

The government, amid a declining trend of COVID-19 infection, in a cabinet meeting on February 27, decided to reopen schools, colleges and madrassahs on a limited scale following the health guidelines on March 30 and the universities from May 24.

But the infection rate is now increasing while the educational institutions, following the government directions, are preparing to open the institutions while the government has begun to vaccinate teachers of the educational institutions. The government also plans to vaccinate university students before reopening the universities.

Talking to reporters at the International Mother Language Institute in the capital on Friday in the backdrop of the recent situation of the COVID-19 infection, education minister Dipu Moni said, ‘The health of students, teachers, employees and guardians is above everything.’

She said that the decision about reopening  educational institutions might go through a review if the COVID-19 situation continues to deteriorate in the country.

‘We are observing the situation as we are witnessing a rise in the COVID-19 infection rate,’ Dipu Moni said.

‘If the deterioration continues, we will decide about the reopening of educational intuitions with our assessment and after consultation with the National Technical Advisory Committee on COVID-19,’ she said.

The minister said that should the decision undergo a revision, it would be announced in due time.  

After COVID-19 turned into a global crisis, the government on February 22, 2020 decided that no examinations at public and private universities would be held till the reopening of the institutions in May.

The country reported the first cases of COVID-19 on March 8, 2020 and classroom activities of educational institutions remained closed due to the crisis since March 17, 2020.

Although the number of cases and test positivity rate dropped in January and in early February, the situation started worsening from late February. The COVID-19 test positivity rate increased to 6.62 per cent on Friday, although it was roughly 2.5 per cent in January and early February.

Last week, the test positivity rate went above 4-5 per cent and the number of daily cases went above 1,000 for the past three days after two months.

According to the government decision on February 27, maintaining health guidelines, students of Class V will attend classes five days a week and students of old Class X and Class XII, six days a week. Students of other classes will attend classes once a week by rotation.

Pre-primary students need not go to school till the situation becomes normal again.

The education minister on February 27 said that the government had already customised syllabuses for the Secondary School Certificate and Higher Secondary Certificate examinations and that the SSC examinations are likely to be held in July and the HSC examinations are likely to be held in the following month.    

News Courtesy:

https://www.newagebd.net/article/132527/govt-may-review-decision-on-reopening-edn-institutions-dipu-moni