Bangladesh to decide on reopening educational institutions this week

The authorities hope to reach a decision by this week on the reopening of all educational institutes in the country, officials say, after assessing the Covid situation.

It was earlier announced that the educational institutions would remain closed till May 29.

“The government has extended the ongoing lockdown till May 30. We will announce a new date for the reopening of schools, colleges, and universities by Thursday,” Secondary and Higher Education Division Secretary Md Mahbub Hossain told Dhaka Tribune on Sunday.

He added that they were working based on recommendations made by the National Technical Advisory Committee (NTAC) on Covid-19. “They will tell us how to operate the institutions after reopening.”

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The government, unlike last year, will not give auto-promotion to SSC and HSC candidates.

According to ministry officials, this is the reason why they want to reopen all the educational institutions as soon as possible.

The authorities earlier said that full-fledged academic activities would resume after vaccination of all students, teachers and staff of the institutions.

Director General of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) Syed Md Golam Faruk said on Sunday that they had already asked all the institutions to start taking necessary preparations to make the reopening process swift.

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“But we must function on a limited scale. Both online and physical classes will be conducted after the reopening,” he added.

NTAC chief Prof Dr Mohammad Shahidullah said: “If the [pandemic] situation improves as a result of the current lockdown, the government will be able to reopen the educational institutions.

“The coronavirus pandemic, at present, seems to be under control. The government has to make the decision on this issue assessing the current Covid situation.”