All educational institutions are likely to remain closed until the improvement of the overall coronavirus pandemic situation across the country.
“The government plans to extend the ongoing general holidays for the educational institutions until the improvement of the ongoing Covid-19 crisis to curb the transmission of coronavirus as it continues to claim more lives and infect a larger number of people every day across the country,” public administration ministry sources said.
The government, however, will be providing all out support to educational institutions, and students and teachers to continue the academic activities smoothly.
Mentionable, all educational institutions in the country remain closed since March 17 after the coronavirus outbreak in the country.
The closure has been extended till August 6 in several steps.
However, the concerned people said that there is no possibility of opening the educational institutions even after August 6 as the current situation of corona crisis is not favorable.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina earlier said that if the corona situation does not improve, the educational institutions may remain closed till next September.
The ministry will take further decision to extend closure after observing the coronavirus situation of July and August, a high official of Education Ministry told Bangladesh Post.
The Ministry sources said, “The corona situation is not favorable yet. We are still in an uncertain destination. The average death toll is over 30. The rate of infection is high. If the rate of infection reduces to double digit and the number of deaths reaches zero, it will be understood that the pandemic has been brought under control.”
According to the concerned sources, the education ministry is working on several ways to overcome the irreparable damage caused to the entire education system by repeated extension of closure announcements in last four months in the current academic year.
The concerned authorities are also considering reducing the syllabus at primary and secondary schools, reducing the holidays in the education calendar, taking the annual examination in December or extending the current academic year to the first quarter of next year.
However, no decision has been made yet on which method will be implemented in taking lessons. The corona situation should be monitored at least in August after Eid-ul-Adha, sources said.
In the meantime, the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations of this year have been postponed due to the corona situation. There was also a delay in publishing SSC and equivalent results.
Although the SSC and equivalent certificate results were published on May 31, the admission process for class XI has not started yet. For the last few years, students are being admitted in class XI of all government and private colleges of the country through Dhaka Board.
Dhaka Education Board Chairman Professor Ziaul Haque said, “The board has preparations to start the admission process for class XI. However, it has not been decided yet when the admission process will start. We are waiting for the decision of the ministry.”
About the closure and admission process, Secondary and Higher Education Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain told Bangladesh Post, “We are observing the coronavirus situation. No decision has been taken about extending closure or opening student admission process. We will take decision after coordinating with all the concerned authorities.”