The government is considering reopening education institutions later this month.
On Wednesday, education minister Dipu Moni said that all educational institutions in the country would be opened in this month, according to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha.
Dipu Moni said that a decision would be taken about the reopening of education institutions at a meeting with the national advisory committee on Covid-19 Wednesday night.
The education minister is scheduled to hold the meeting with the committee at 10:00pm on Wednesday.
Regarding classroom teaching, the minister said, ‘We will do our best to take as many classes as possible considering the situation.’
But even if the educational institutions are opened, health guidelines should be followed strictly, she also warned at a programme at the Chandpur deputy commissioner’s office.
The national Covd advisory committee convenor, Professor Mohammad Shahidullah, told New Age on Wednesday evening that they were scheduled to meet the minister at 10:00pm virtually about the resumption of in-person classes.
‘We’ll give the ministry advice while the ministry will take the final decision,’ he said.
Replying to a question he said that currently the numbers of cases of Covid infection and hospitalisation were decreasing.
‘So as per my opinion the situation is positive for the resumption of in-person classes,’ he added.
Earlier, prime minister Sheikh Hasina on February 13 expected that the reopening of the educational institutions in the country could be possible at the end of this month depending on the pandemic situation.
Currently, the educational institutions are conducting only online classes.
On January 21, the government announced the closure of schools, colleges and equivalent educational institutions across the country until February 6 to contain Covid-19.
On February 2, the government extended the closure of educational institutions by two more weeks.
At least 3.7 crore children’s education was disrupted by the closure of the schools in Bangladesh during the Covid pandemic, UNICEF said on January 24, putting emphasis on opening the schools.
Earlier, the government kept all educational institutions shut for more than one and a half years from March 18, 2020 to September 11, 2021 due to the Covid situation.
According to a UNICEF report, Bangladesh has seen the second longest closure of schools in the world due to Covid-19.
With the latest statistics till Wednesday morning, the total Covid death toll has hit 28,887 and the tally of cases 19,23,031 since the country recorded the first Covid infection on March 8, 2020 and death from the viral disease on March 18, 2020.
