M M Jasim :Country’s education sector is on the brink of ruin, as the frequent blockade and hartal have crippled the daily classes at schools, colleges, universities and other institutions. At present, most of the educational institutions hold classes and examinations on Fridays and Saturdays, the two weekly holidays.In view of the students’ gross absence from classes, the government on Tuesday issued a circular signed by Education Secretary Nazrul Islam Khan stating that students having 70 percent attendance are eligible for Test examinations. They will also get opportunity to appear in the final examinations, even if they fail in one or two subjects in the test examinations.Not only that, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has also directed all the Vice-Chancellors of public and private universities to resume classes and examinations amid blockade and hartal, even on weekly holidays. Though the primary and the secondary level students collected textbooks from schools, they are yet to attend classes on account of blockade.In fact, most of the schools and the colleges in the capital city are officially open, but turnout is very thin. Fearing violence on the streets, many guardians do not want to send their children to the educational institutions.Though a number of English medium schools and kindergartens in the capital city have suspended their regular classes apparently for the same reason, they have been taking classes and examinations on weekends [Friday and Saturday].Al-Rafi, a student of Moitree Kindergarten School at Wari told The New Nation on Wednesday, they are not required to attend school on hartal days. “Our school remains closed on hartal days, but it is open on Fridays and Saturdays,” he said.Hossain Arefin, a student of Lyceum International School said similarly.The state of unofficial vacation on regular days of the week and holding classes and examinations on weekends is prevalent in most schools and colleges in the capital city. The institutions include Notre Dame College, Holly Cross College, Saint Francis Xavier’s Girls’ High School, Saint Gregory High School and Scholastica, among others.Meanwhile, several teachers have said that the ongoing political deadlock has been playing havoc with the academic activities from the beginning of the session. It would take a long time to recover the loss even if the standoff ends today.Principal of Notre Dame College, Father Dr Hemanta Piyas Rozario said, “Normal flow of studies is being disrupted badly on account of the ongoing hartal and blockade programme. We now take classes and examinations on Fridays and Saturdays in a bid to recover the losses.”Md Mizanur Rahman, a teacher of Saint Gregory School said, “We cannot take classes and examinations as per schedule due to the ongoing political impasse. We now take classes on Fridays in two session and Saturdays in one session.”The situation in some Bengali medium educational institututins like Banglabazar Government Girls’ High School, Muslim Government High School, Dhaka Collegiate School, Islamia Government High School, Narinda Government School is very delicate. These schools cannot even take the classes and examinations on weekends, because the postponed examinations are being held on Fridays and Saturdays on these centers. The unrest is not only disrupting the academic calendar of the students, but also forcing the government to reschedule the ongoing Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and its equivalent examinations repeatedly.In the latest development, the government on Tuesday postponed the Wednesday’s SSC and its equivalent examinations due to the BNP-led alliance’s extension of hartal by 48 hours.The Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and its equivalent examinations began across the country on February 6 and around 1.5 million examinees have been passing their days in utmost anxieties.Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid, however, has expressed his firm determination to complete the SSC examinations in due time despite the ongoing blockade and hartal.
