Bangladesh
School Reopening Educational institutions to remain shut till September 11
Dhaka, August 26: Closure of educational institutions have been extended till September 11 across the country by the education ministry on Thursday.
Schools and colleges have remained shut since 17 March, 2020 due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
According to the last announcement, the closure was extended till August 31.
A report by the UNICEF published on Tuesday said Bangladeshi students have experienced the second-longest school closure in the world due to the coronavirus.
"For an estimated eight million of these students, the wait for their first day of in-person learning has been over a year and counting, as they live in places where schools have been closed throughout the pandemic. This number includes almost four million first-time learners from Bangladesh, where educational institutions have been closed since 17 March 2020 – the second-longest COVID-19 school closure in the world," the report read.
"In Bangladesh, prolonged closure of educational institutions throughout the pandemic has affected over 40 million students from the pre-primary to the higher education level. The longer children remain out of school, the less likely they are to return as they face increased risks of violence, child labour and child marriage," it added.
On August 18, Prime minister Sheikh Hasina urged authorities to explore options of reopening educational institutes as soon as possible.
Following the order, the education ministry and the primary and mass education ministry have started preparations.
The education ministry held a meeting on Thursday over the possibility of reopening the institutions.
According to State minister for primary and mass education Zakir Hossain preparation is being taken so that schools can be reopened anytime.
The lawmaker said the authorities might reopen schools once the Covid-19 situation improves further.
