A dedicated education channel 'BTV Education' will come online this year to further expand the remote learning of students across the country.
With the vision to launch the channel soon, Bangladesh Television (BTV) under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is making suitable technical and broadcast-based arrangements.
Once this channel comes online, it will be easier to make up the loss students have suffered and still suffering for the closure of schools and colleges due to the Covid-19 pandemic. BTV Director General Sohrab Hossain said that the channel would be able to start its journey in the next 3-4 months.
He told Bangladesh Post, "We already have got transmitter and satellite connections. now we are assembling the equipment needed to launch a separate TV channel under technical preparations."
"A dedicated channel needs a dedicated studio and control room. Once they are ready, we will be able to launch this new education channel, hopefully within this year," he added.
It is learnt that through this channel, regular class-based teaching will be aired involving teachers from various reputed schools and colleges.
In this regard, BTV Director (Program and Planning) Jagdish Chandra Esh told Bangladesh Post, "Content making is underway. Once the technical preparation is complete, we will be able to prepare for program making."
However, in addition to education, the channel may also broadcast various agricultural programmes, said Md Mizan-ul-Alam, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
He told Bangladesh Post that some educational activities are already ongoing through Sangsad TV. The ministry has recently directed the BTV authorities for taking preparations to launch the new TV channel.
"BTV will make technical and broadcast-based preparations. Besides education, agriculture-based programs may also be aired on the channel. However, no final decision has yet been taken," Mizan-ul-Alam said.
On June 27, Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud said, "Students continue to suffer for not being able to join classes in person despite remote learning is ongoing through online platforms and TV slots.”
"To make up this loss, the Ministry of Information and Bangladesh Television have decided to launch an education channel under BTV as soon as possible", he added.
Earlier on June 17, Education Minister Dipu Moni told the National Parliament that a dedicated channel was under consideration to enable the students to take part in digital classes throughout the year.
Due to the coronavirus epidemic in the country, all types of educational institutions have been closed since March 17 last year. However, online classes, Sangsad TV classes and assignment activities have been ongoing to keep the students involved in their studies.
However, despite all this, many experts say that students are not being evaluated properly and they are lagging behind. Besides, if the Covid surge does not reduce soon, it will not be easy to open the educational institutions.
So, the government is launching a new dedicated education channel to make remote learning more effective for the students.