About 1 crore students to be jabbed in 20 days

The government has planned to vaccinate about one crore students at secondary and tertiary level by 30 January. 

Students aged 12-18 can take the vaccines from the respective centres showing their school and college identity cards. No decision has been taken yet regarding the university students. 

The education ministry will sit with the National University on Tuesday to devise ways for ensuring vaccines to all the students. 

Education Minister Dipu Moni disclosed these at a press briefing at the conference hall of the ministry on Monday. 

"No students will be allowed in-person in classes from 11 January if they are not vaccinated. They will attend classes online until they are jabbed," she said. 

The education ministry will strengthen its monitoring to implement the  World Health Organistaion's and the health ministry's guidelines to prevent Covid-19 infection at all educational institutions. 

The education ministry data shows, there are over 4.5 crore students from pre-primary to higher education level. Of them, 1.16 crore students are aged 12-18 and about 44 lakh students are studying at higher educational institutions.
Only 41 lakh students received 1st dose of vaccines out of 1.16 crore while only 4 lakh got the two doses. Rest of the 75 lakh are yet to get vaccines by Monday. 

Of the higher education level students, only 23 lakh got the 1st dose of vaccines and 17 lakh both doses. Rest of the students cannot take the vaccines for the complexities of National Identity cards and birth registrations cards. 

The ministry will end inoculation to all the students at 397 upazilas by 15 January, three upazilas by 17 January, 56 upazilas by 20 January, 15 upazilas by 22 January and rest of the upazilas by 30 January. 

Bagerhat district tops the list with as many as 92% students receiving vaccines. Narsingdi and Lalmonirhat districts are at the bottom of the list with 4% receivers of vaccines. 

Vaccination of school students aged between 12 and 17 started on 1 November last year. Initially, vaccination was being administered at only eight centres in Dhaka, but now students are getting the vaccines at 11 centres in the capital as well as at the district level.

Dr Dipu Moni also said that they have no immediate plan to close the educational institutions, rather they will continue classes with the students who are already vaccinated.

"The situation is better than previous days when the ministry resumed the classes in September last year. Many students now have received vaccines. So, there is no possibility of closing the educational institutions right now," she said.

Asked about the students aged below 12 she said, the WHO is yet to provide any instruction about giving vaccines to the children below 12 and that is why they can attend the classes without vaccines. 

The students, who have other illnesses like cancer, complications such as breathing problems, or are at particular risk from COVID, have been asked to take part in the online classes from their homes.

About the teachers' vaccines she said, almost all the teachers have received vaccines. A few of the teachers are yet to get vaccinated due to various difficulties, she added. 

The education minister also announced that the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) exams in 2022 will be held following the short syllabus. The exams are likely to take place in June-July.

Classes to be operated as per existing routine 

According to a circular issued by the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, SSC candidates of 2022 will attend classes on four subjects every day of the week. 

Tenth graders will attend classes on three subjects, eighth and ninth on three subjects twice a week, and sixth and seventh graders on three subjects once a week.

Fate of students below 12

Professor Nazrul Islam, noted virologist and member of the National Technical Advisory Committee on Covid-19 told The Business Standard that only the USA provides vaccines to all the children. 

"We follow the direction of the WHO. It has not yet provided us any instruction in this regard," he said. 

Scenario of Public universities 

More than 90% students of public universities have received the 1st dose of vaccines and more than 70% took both doses. 

Professor Md Akhtaruzzaman, vice-chancellor of Dhaka University, told TBS that no students are allowed to stay at halls without taking vaccines and even those who are attending the regular classes and exams have received vaccines. 

Professor Farid Uddin Ahmed, vice-chancellor of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, said, almost all the teachers and students of his university took vaccines.