UNB, Dhaka :
Primary schools in Bangladesh will reopen for in-person classes on March 1, with strict Covid-safety protocols in place.
Mahbubur Rahman Tuhin, public relations officer of primary and mass education ministry, told UNB on Friday.
On Thursday, Education Minister Dipu Moni said all secondary, higher secondary and university-level educational institutions in Bangladesh will reopen for physical classes on February 22.
At the same time, preparations are being made to reopen primary schools in another two weeks, said Dipu Moni.
“In-person classes at primary schools will remain closed for another 10 to 14 days. Measures are being taken to vaccinate children below 12 years. The health and family welfare ministry and the Directorate General of Health Services are looking into the WHO approval issues,” she added.
Meanwhile, the ministry of primary and mass education has already prepared the list of students eligible for Covid jabs at all primary schools, according to the minister.
On January 21, the government announced that all schools and colleges in Bangladesh will 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, the 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.
