Curbs on in-person classes extended again

The government has yet again extended the closure of all educational institutions across the country from 31 August until 11 September in the midst of the Covid pandemic. 

The decision has been taken based on recommendations of the National Technical Advisory Committee on Covid-19.

The education ministry and the primary and mass education ministry say they have everything put in place for academic activities to resume any day following the World Health Organisation's recommendations.

A meeting of the ministries and the technical advisory committee on Thursday also decided that public and private universities will reopen from October 17 in phases. 

Before that, universities will have to send vaccination-related information to the University Grant Commission, said Education Minister Dipu Moni, who presided over the meeting. 

The universities will be allowed to resume all activities, including reopening of the residential halls, after the vaccination of all students, she added. 

DU to reopen halls in October

Deans' Committee of Dhaka University has decided to reopen the university after the inoculation of all residential students by 15 October. Halls will be reopened in phases. 

In the first phase, students of fourth-year and masters will be allowed to stay in the dormitories. In the second phase, first-year to third-year students, if vaccinated, will be allowed to enter the dormitories. 

However, all educational institutions will remain closed if the infection rate does not come down to below 5%. The positivity rate dropped to 13.77% on Thursday, the lowest in more than two months.  

Secondary School Certificate and Higher Secondary Certificate exams will be held by November second week and by December first week respectively on the shortened syllabus already laid out by the authorities if the Covid situation improves. 

Students will be evaluated on three subjects, excluding those that they studied to pass the previous board exams. That means they will choose among subjects specific to their field of studies -- science, arts and commerce – for writing exams.

The duration of exams and marks will be halved to 1.5 hours and 50 marks.

If the infection rate stays high, results will be published through an assessment of assignments in the three subjects chosen by the students, combined with results of previous board exams.

"We may calculate 10-20% marks from assignments and the rest from previous public exams," the education minister said, adding that if the evaluation of assignments were not done properly, results would be fully based on students' performance in previous public exams.

A total of 24 assignments will be given to SSC candidates in 12 weeks from this month. And HSC candidates will have to submit 30 assignments.

The education ministry has kept all institutions closed since 18 March last year considering students' safety. Though classes have remained suspended, administrative activities have resumed gradually.

All students from the primary to secondary level will be promoted automatically.

There are about 4.5 crore students from the pre-primary to higher education level at around two lakh educational institutions across the country.