The government on Thursday again extended the closure of secondary and higher secondary-level educational institutions until September 11 considering  the Covid-19 situation in the country.

Talking to UNB, MA Khair, public relations officer of the Education Ministry, revealed the information about the government decision.

“A joint meeting of the Education Ministry, Ministry of Primary and Mass education and the National Technical Advisory Committee was held on Thursday over the issue, “ he said.

The government shut the educational institutions on March 17, 2020 after the country reported its first Covid-19 cases on March 8. Then the closure was extended several times, most recently until August 31.

Read:Schools, colleges asked to prepare for reopening, guidelines issued

Preparations for reopening

On Aug 24, State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Zakir Hossain said schools, remained closed since March last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, will be reopened after getting directives from the highest level of the government.

“We can’t reopen the schools suddenly. We have taken all-out preparations, and if the Prime Minister orders us today we are ready to reopen thecschools from tomorrow,” he told reporters at the Secretariat.

Zakir said experts favour reopening of schools as the students are out of classes for the past one and half years.

Besides, the education authorities on the same day  issued some guidelines as part of preparations to reopen the educational institutions.

The teachers of primary schools have been instructed to return to their workplaces from Tuesday.

The Primary Education Directorate asked the upazila/thana education officers to inspect the schools in their jurisdiction within a week.

Besides, it gave instructions to keep the institutions clean and tidy by taking utmost care to prevent dengue.

The primary school authorities were instructed to prepare their wash blocks accordingly.

Besides, the Directorate of Secondary & Higher Education (DSHE) asked the regional directors to make necessary preparations to reopen the schools and colleges.

According to sources at the  education ministry, most teachers and staffers of the educational institutions have been vaccinated.

Sources at the University Grants Commission claimed that around 80 % students of Dhaka University got their Covid jabs.

However, schools will reopen only after the covid positivity rate comes below 5 %, said a source at the education ministry.