students
Torch procession held at RU in solidarity with students of SUST
Leaders and activists of left leaning political organisations of Rajshahi University have staged a torch procession protesting the attack on the students at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST).
The procession started from 'Amtala' behind the central library of the university on Monday at 7.30 pm. Later, at the end of a tour of the campus, a demonstration was held at the 'Zoha Chattar' of the university.
Leaders and activists expressed their full support to all the demands of SUST students including resignation of the Vice-Chancellor Fariduddin Ahmed.
Addressing the demonstration, Md. Shakil, joint convenor of 'Biplobi Chhatra Maitri' of the university said the students of SUST were attacked by police without hearing their logical demands.
"Many student were seriously injured. I strongly condemn such a heinous attack. I also fully support their demands," Shakil said.
READ: SUST: Students reject closure notice, declare VC 'unwanted' on campus
Shakila Khatun, president of Chhatra Union's RU branc, said: "The university is a place for free thought. But in SUST, the students who were agitating for logical demands have been attacked. This is not an isolated incident, This is the same picture across the country. A movement starts with a logical demand, and then the police force and student wing of the ruling party attacks them."
Besides, Ridom Shahriar, convenor of Samajtantrik Chhatra Front's RU unit, and Fuad Ratul, the organising secretary of the same organisations, also addressed the protest rally. Among them, many leaders and activists of the Left Alliance were present in the program.
READ: ‘Police action’ on SUST students: Protest rallies held at DU
Earlier on that day, students from different departments formed a human chain in front 'Shaheed Buddhijibi Smritifalak' of the university protesting the same issue.
Bagerhat's shining success in vaccinating students
Students in Bagerhat have raced ahead of most members of their cohorts in other parts of the country, when it comes to getting vaccinated against COVID-19. This has put them in a strong position to fully resume in-person schooling with pre-pandemic schedules ahead of most other districts, given the government's mandate that only the students who are vaccinated could attend schools.
Driven by this challenge, all the students aged 12-17 in 9 upazilas of Bagerhat, have successfully completed their first doses of the vaccine. They are now up for the second dose.
Already this week, long queues of students were seen forming during a visit to the Bagerhat Sadar Hospital - all belonging to the same group, lining up now for their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
Read: All students to be vaccinated by Jan 31: Dipu Moni
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mohammad Azizur Rahman said, "We have successfully brought all students aged 12-17 under the vaccination programme. Now efforts are being made to bring all students aged above 18 under vaccination by January."
Bagerhat District Education Officer Kamruzzaman said that a list of students above 18 in the district have been made. According to it, in Bagerhat district there are 33,112 students above 18. Of them 29,531 got their first dose. Remaining 3,531 have registered through the app.
Both the parents and the teachers are happy that the district administration managed to bring all the students under vaccination. They have highly praised the efforts made to make the students aware of the importance of vaccinating.
Bagehat Civil Surgeon Dr Jalal Uddin said, our target was to vaccinate a total of 1,36,651 students aged 12-17 but we have administered the first dose vaccine to 1,41,308 students within this age range. This took the vaccination rate in the district to 103 per cent. The additional 4,657 students were dropouts.
Students received vaccines in 14 booths in 9 upazilas of the district; they came to the centers with enthusiasm and received the vaccines, Dr Jalal Uddin said.
So far, 11,669 students have received the second dose of vaccine, he added.
Four, including 3 students killed in Dinajpur road crashes
Three friends were killed when a speeding truck rammed into the motorcycle they riding after admission into school at Birganj upazila in Dinajpur on Sunday, a fire service official said.
The deceased were identified as Sahadat, 15, son of Afsar Ali, Shahriar Shuvo, 15, son of Jahangir Hossain, and Muzahid Hossain, 14, son of Sukkur Ali. All the deceased were from Makrai village of Birganj upazila.
Read:Expatriate, 2 others killed in Barishal road crash
The three were out on joyride after completing admission process into their respective classes at Kabi Nazrul High School in Birganj.
The accident occurred on Dinajpur-Panchagarh road. Sahadat and Shuvo died on the spot. Muzahid was rushed to Birganj Upazila Health Complex where doctors declared him dead, confirmed Meraz Ali, an officer of Fire Service and Civil Defence in Birganj.
Read:2 killed in Sunamganj road crash
In a separate accident also on Sunday vegetable trader Md Rajib Uddin, of Uttar Katla village in Birampur, was killed when his vehicle overturned after being hit by an army vehicle at Doel intersection in Birampur, confirmed Sumon Kumar Mohonto, officer-in-charge of Birampur Police Station.
Students should acquire skill in technology to face future challenges: Dipu
Education Minister Dipu Moni on Wednesday urged the students to be skilled in technology to meet the challenges of the coming days. “Technology has both good and bad sides and we should be technology friendly and skilled following the demand of the future. We have to make our students acquainted with technology,” she said.
Read: Secondary school admissions: Lottery system for all classes, says Dipu Moni Dipu was talking to reporters after attending the oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected union parishad members. Mentioning that the academic activities have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, she said the government has a plan to recoup the losses caused by the pandemic in the education sector.
MBSTU: Notice asking married students to vacate female dorm withdrawn
Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University (MBSTU) authorities have withdrawn a notice for female married students to vacate their halls of residence.
After the students demanded cancellation of the notice, provost of Alema Khatun Bhashani Hall Dr Roksana Haque Rimi withdrew it.
According to the university sources, Alema Khatun Bhashani Hall has 248 seats. After the lockdown was eased and the varsity reopened, more students than ever before applied for seats at the dorm. On December 11 the provost issued a notice asking the married students to leave the dorm within January 30.
READ: 52 MBSTU teachers withdraw resignation; 5 BCL leaders suspended
As the notice created confusion and uncertainty among the students, another notice on Monday evening was issued.
Vice-chancellor (VC) Dr ARM Solaiman said according to the varsity laws it is restricted for married students to stay at the dorms but considering various facts this law is no more in use.
The previous notice was given in accordance to the law but as the resident students reacted over the notice, it was withdrawn, the VC said.
READ: 52 MBSTU teachers resign from admin posts
Students may lose around $17 trillion in lifetime earnings for Covid learning loss: Report
Students now risks losing $17 trillion in lifetime earnings in present value, or about 14 percent of today’s global GDP, as a result of COVID-19 pandemic-related school closures, according to a new report published today by the World Bank, UNESCO, and UNICEF.
The new projection reveals that the impact is more severe than previously thought, and far exceeds the $10 trillion estimates released in 2020.
In addition, The State of the Global Education Crisis: A Path to Recovery report shows that in low- and middle-income countries, the share of children living in Learning Poverty – already 53 percent before the pandemic – could potentially reach 70 percent given the long school closures and the ineffectiveness of remote learning to ensure full learning continuity during school closures.
Read: Project launched to help children overcome COVID-19 learning loss
“The COVID-19 crisis brought education systems across the world to a halt,” said Jaime Saavedra, World Bank Global Director for Education. “Now, 21 months later, schools remain closed for millions of children, and others may never return to school. The loss of learning that many children are experiencing is morally unacceptable. And the potential increase of Learning Poverty might have a devastating impact on future productivity, earnings, and well-being for this generation of children and youth, their families, and the world’s economies.”
Simulations estimating that school closures resulted in significant learning losses are now being corroborated by real data.
For example, regional evidence from Brazil, Pakistan, rural India, South Africa, and Mexico, among others, show substantial losses in math and reading.
Analysis shows that in some countries, on average, learning losses are roughly proportional to the length of the closures.
However, there was great heterogeneity across countries and by subject, students’ socioeconomic status, gender, and grade level.
For example, results from two states in Mexico show significant learning losses in reading and in math for students aged 10-15. The estimated learning losses were greater in math than reading, and affected younger learners, students from low-income backgrounds, as well as girls disproportionately.
Barring a few exceptions, the general trends from emerging evidence around the world align with the findings from Mexico, suggesting that the crisis has exacerbated inequities in education
“The COVID-19 pandemic shut down schools across the world, disrupting education for 1.6 billion students at its peak, and exacerbated the gender divide. In some countries, we’re seeing greater learning losses among girls and an increase in their risk of facing child labor, gender-based violence, early marriage, and pregnancy. To stem the scars on this generation, we must reopen schools and keep them open, target outreach to return learners to school, and accelerate learning recovery," said UNICEF Director of Education Robert Jenkins.
Read:Hasina urges UNESCO to declare online and remote learning as public good
The report highlights that, to date, less than 3 percent of governments’ stimulus packages have been allocated to education. Much more funding will be needed for immediate learning recovery.
The report also notes that while nearly every country in the world offered remote learning opportunities for students, the quality and reach of such initiatives differed – in most cases, they offered, at best, a rather partial substitute for in-person instruction.
More than 200 million learners live in low- and lower middle-income countries that are unprepared to deploy remote learning during emergency school closures.
Road safety: Students takes out symbolic ‘coffin procession’ at Shahbagh
The students, now on a movement seeking safer roads, brought out a symbolic ‘coffin procession’ at Shahbagh in the capital on Sunday, demanding justice for road accident victims.
The students brought out the procession around 1pm to press home their nine-point demand, including the issuance of a notification regarding half bus fare for students across the country.
Students from different educational institutions in the capital took part in the procession.
Read:Students take to streets again with 11-point demand
Earlier in the morning, the protesters started a sit-in at Shahbagh with a coffin. Another group of protesters brought out another procession from the Public Library carrying only banners.
Students in all metropolitan cities to enjoy half fare: Bus owners
After capital Dhaka, students in all other metropolitan cities, including Chattogram, will enjoy half fare while travelling in public transport with effect from December 11. Secretary General of Bangladesh Road Transport Owners Association Khandaker Enayetullah came up with the announcement while speaking at a press briefing at Chattogram Press Club on Sunday. The students will enjoy the half fare from 7 am to 8 pm and they have to show their identity cards to avail of this opportunity.
Read: Half bus fares for students in Dhaka metropolitan area from Wednesday However, it will not be applicable on government and weekly holidays and other holidays of educational institutions, said Khandaker. But a 50% discount will not be applicable outside cities, he added. “We’ve taken the decision to allow half fare for the students in public buses in all the cities following the demand of the students and we hope now they will go back to their respective institutions,” he added. In the face of student protests, Dhaka Road Transport Owners Association on November 30 decided that all the students in Dhaka Metropolitan area will get a 50% discount from December 1.
Half pass: Ctg bus owners likely to follow Dhaka's lead
In the face of massive protest, Chattogram city bus owners gave a positive signal to cut fares by half for students, following a meeting between several bus owners' associations.
Chattogram Metropolitan Bus Owners Association Secretary-General Belayet Hossain Belal revealed as much on Friday. They would announce it Sunday at a press conference, he said.
READ: Private bus owners to allow half fares for students: Obaidul Quader
"We sat with the various bus owners association leaders and discussed the half fare for the students and several other issues.
READ: Students block roads again demanding road safety, half fare
The bus fare for the students at the port city would be similar to that of Dhaka, he hinted.
Demanding half bus fare in Chattogram, students from various educational institutions had been staging demonstrations for the last few days, expressing solidarity with the students of Dhaka.
Students take to streets again with 11-point demand
Students from different colleges staged a demonstration on Rampura Road again on Wednesday to press home their 11-point demand, including road safety, and issuance of a gazette over half fare in public transport for students across the country. Several hundred students of different colleges, including Ekramunnesa School and College, Imperial College and Siddheshwari Girls’ College, took to the streets around 11 am. They were also seen checking the documents of vehicles, licences and fitness certificates, slowing down traffic on Malibagh-Rampur Road.
Read:Students being used to destabilize country: Information Minister A traffic gridlock was created from Kuril Biswa Road to Rampur bridge area following the student demonstration. Haris Mahmud, a student, said they will sit on the same road again on Thursday for one hour from 1 PM if their demands are not met by the authorities concerned by the time. However, the traffic returned to normalcy around 2 pm after the students left the road.