After a month-long closure, all secondary, higher secondary and university-level institutions in Bangladesh reopened on Tuesday for physical classes with strict Covid-safety protocols in place.
The decision to reopen the academic institutions was taken in view of the declining Covid cases across Bangladesh. However, primary schools in Bangladesh will reopen for in-person classes on March 1, according to the Ministry of Education.
Students aged 12 and above who have been vaccinated with the second dose of a Covid vaccine will be able to physically attend the classes, while those who have got the first dose will attend online classes, Education Minister Dipu Moni had earlier said.
“The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education has already prepared a list of students eligible for Covid jabs at all primary schools,” she had said.
So far, 14,874,591 students have received the first Covid shot and 9,858,849 the second dose of a corona vaccine.
On January 21, the government announced that all schools and colleges in Bangladesh would remain closed from January 21 to February 6 amid a renewed surge in Covid-19 cases largely due to the new Omicron variant.
The shutdown was extended till February 20 for the safety of the students as the virus continued to spread.
The following day, the Education Ministry issued an 11-point directive, including the resumption of online classes for schools and colleges.
Besides, the vaccination of students, aged between 12 and 17 years, against Covid-19 was directed to be continued following the health guidelines in coordination with the zonal offices of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, District Education Offices, Upazila Secondary Education Offices, local administrations and Civil Surgeons.
After a 17-month Covid-induced closure, students in Bangladesh returned to their classrooms on September 12 last year.
The government shut the educational institutions on March 17, 2020, after the country reported its first Covid-19 cases on March 8 and later the closure was extended several times.
Source: United News of Bangladesh