Staff Reporter :
The government has extended closure of all educational institutions for one more time saying to reopen educational institutions, particularly primary, secondary and higher secondary ones on June 13 if the Covid-19 situation does not deteriorate.
Education Minister Dipu Moni made the announcement while addressing a virtual press conference at 12 noon on Wednesday.
She said that all secondary and higher secondary level educational institutions will be opened on June 13.
At the same time, State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Zakir Hossain said all primary schools will also reopen on the same day.
About reopening universities, the Education Minister said, the decision will be
taken in consultation with the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the university authorities.
Initially, the institutions will remain open for six days a week for the class-V students as well as SSC and HSC candidates for 2021 and 2022, while for one day only for the students of other classes. The number of classroom lectures will increase gradually for the students of other classes, she said.
Dipu Moni urged all to follow the health guidelines and thus help the government create a favourable environment for reopening the educational institutions.
“On one hand, we ask for reopening educational institutions and increase the (Covid-19) infection rate on the other hand by not following the health guidelines. These two things can’t go together,” she said.
The minister said the online and television-based teaching and assignment-based academic activity are going on amid the ongoing closure of educational institutions.
She said the Covid-19 infection rate has risen slightly due to the recent mass exodus during the Eid holidays.
“The infection rate has risen suddenly in some districts. Keeping such issues in mind, we’re extending the closure of our educational institutions until June 12. We hope the situation will improve by the time, and then we can reopen the institutions,” she said.
The minister, however, said the government will reopen the educational institutions on the basis of adequate data and favourable opinions.
She said the government takes its decision after discussions with the National Technical Advisory Committee on Covid-19. “We’ll take the decision (on reopening the educational institutions) based on discussions with them this time, also,” she added.
According to expert views, if the Covid-19 infection rate remains within five percent, it will create a favourable situation to reopen educational institutions, Dipu Moni added.
The government shut the educational institutions on March 17, 2020 after the country reported its first Covid-19 cases on March 8. Then the closure was extended several times, most recently until May 29, 2021.
