The Ministry of Education has decided to extend the shutdown of schools and colleges across Bangladesh till June 30 in a bid to stop the further spread of Covid-19.
A circular in this regard will be issued soon, said ministry officials.
Earlier on May 27, the government decided to keep all educational institutions in the country closed until June 15 due to the ongoing pandemic.
Confirming the matter to Dhaka Tribune on Sunday, Primary and Mass Education Secretary Md Akram-al-Hossainon, said: “To ensure the safety of our children, the existing closure of schools and colleges across the country will be extended till June 30.
“But we will sit with the Education Ministry to finalize everything.”
According to ministry sources, concerned officials are working with two proposals – one being extending the shutdown till June 30 and then deciding what to do given the Covid-19 situation in the country, the other being extending this shutdown beyond June 30 – However, the ministry is considering the first option to be the best one, added the sources.
After the first detection of Covid-19 in Bangladesh on March 8, followed by the first report of death on March 18, the Education Ministry closed all schools, colleges, and universities from March 18 to 31, and later extended the closure till April 9 due to the global pandemic.
On April 7, the ministry decided to extend the shutdown till the Eid-ul-Fitr holidays.
Due to the situation, the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations, scheduled to start on April 1, were also postponed indefinitely.
The government imposed a nationwide “general holiday” on March 26 to prevent transmission of Covid-19, a highly contagious and severe acute respiratory infection caused by the novel coronavirus. The holiday has been extended several times.
