Editorial Desk :
Failure to buy vaccines by the government in due time has caused many children to commit suicide. If more people could be vaccinated, then we may not have to see the present chaotic situation. Especially, vaccination among general students cannot be started which caused loss of an academic year and wastage of money as well.
In the last 15 months – from March 2020 to June 2021 – at least 151 students aged between 12 and 20 have committed suicide in Bangladesh when their educational institutes were closed due to coronavirus pandemic, a leading Bengali Daily recently has divulged the information. Of the victims, 73 were school going students, 42 were medical college and university level youths, 27 from colleges and 29 of madrassas.
This report shows what’s the actual condition of mental health of our children is who are students of different private or public educational institutions under the old education system.
We have said it many times that present education policy doesn’t go with the current context of the pandemic, when huge mismanagement in the health sector has already made the situation more critical.
The students not only have lost education, but also faced long term impact on their mental health for staying at home. Governments of countries like Singapore, UK, USA, France and Canada which have world’s top schooling systems have paid extra attention to their children to save them from mental trauma.
Though school closures are often used as a way of reducing transmission of the virus during pandemic, we must say the adverse impact of prolonged school closures on mental health of the adolescents involved should be noted.
Another study in China showed that female adolescents have a higher risk of depression and anxiety. It showed senior high school students nearing college entrance exams are more depressed than younger pupils. At that time, they cannot go to the playground.
But Bangladesh, which is scheduled to officially become a developing country in 2026, is an exception. The Education Ministry in Bangladesh has extended time of school closure on a regular basis without working out a pragmatic plan to keep students in touch with learning and maintain their mental health safe and sound. It seems the number of suicide victims will be higher than 151 as many incidents in remote areas are not reported.
Though the Bangladesh government has expressed satisfaction over continuing education online, people know that it has failed due to unavailability of internet services in many parts of the country. Even in capital Dhaka, the students have to face slow speed of internet which hampers their online classes. But the guardians have to count fees for tuition, coaching, examinations, books and other educational materials. For availing online classes, they have purchased smart phones or laptops for their children.
Whereas, the government did not arrange any facility to get such electronic devices at low prices or on an installment basis to help poor guardians and students, when majority of guardians have either lost jobs and faced salary cut during pandemic.
Besides, the varsity students who depend on private tuitions or other similar jobs have lost their earnings too. The public university authorities have announced dates of admission tests and other examinations without opening residential halls.
Despite huge foreign currencies earned through remittance the government was uncaring and incompetent to buy vaccines to help our people. May be they were waiting unconscionably to get free vaccines from other countries. We need a government sensitive to human needs.
