primary schools
Schools to remain open during Ramadan as Appellate Division stays HC order
The Appellate Division on Tuesday (March 12, 2024) stayed the High Court order on keeping the primary and secondary schools closed during the month of Ramadan.
A 5-member Appellate Division bench led by Chief Justice Obaidul Hassan passed the order hearing an appeal filed against the High Court order.
Attorney General AM Amin Uddin stood for the state while Advocate AKM Faiz stood for the writ petitioner.
Attorney General AM Amin Uddin told reporters that following the Appellate Division order there will be no bar on running schools during Ramadan.
Primary, secondary schools to remain closed during Ramadan: HC
On March 10, the HC stayed for two months the government’s decision to keep the primary and secondary schools open in the first 10 and 15 days of Ramadan respectively.
The HC bench of Justice KM Kamrul Kader and Justice Khizir Hayat passed the order following a petition seeking closure of school activities during Ramadan.
Advocate Mahmuda Khanam stood for the writ petitioner while deputy attorney general Sheikh Md Saifuzzaman represented the state.
On February 8, the government amended the holiday list for educational institutions keeping the regular activities of secondary schools open for 15 days during the month of Ramadan. The Education Ministry issued a notice in this regard.
In another notice, the Primary and Mass Education Ministry issued a notice to keep the activities of primary schools during the month of Ramadan for ten days.
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Advocate Md Ilias Ali Mandal, a guardian, filed a writ petition on February 25, challenging the two orders of the government.
Secretaries to the Primary and Mass Education Ministry, Education Ministry, deputy secretary of Primary and Mass Education Ministry and deputy secretary of Education Ministry, Director General of the Directorate of Primary Education Department, Director of Child Welfare Trust were made respondents.
Primary, secondary schools to remain closed during Ramadan: HC
The High Court on Sunday (March 10, 2024) stayed for two months the government’s decision to keep the primary and secondary schools open in the first 10 and 15 days of Ramadan respectively.
The HC bench of Justice KM Kamrul Kader and Justice Khizir Hayat passed the order following a petition seeking closure of school activities during Ramadan.
Advocate Mahmuda Khanam stood for the writ petitioner while deputy attorney general Sheikh Md Saifuzzaman represented the state.
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Following the order, the academic activities of primary and secondary schools will remain closed during the month of Ramadan.
On February 8, the government amended the holiday list for educational institutions keeping the regular activities of secondary schools open for 15 days during the month of Ramadan. The Education Ministry issued a notice in this regard.
In another notice, the Primary and Mass Education Ministry issued a notice to keep the activities of primary schools during the month of Ramadan for ten days.
Advocate Md Ilias Ali Mandal, a guardian, filed a writ petition on February 25, challenging the two orders of the government.
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Secretaries to the Primary and Mass Education Ministry, Education Ministry, deputy secretary of Primary and Mass Education Ministry and deputy secretary of Education Ministry, Director General of the Directorate of Primary Education Department, Director of Child Welfare Trust were made respondents.
Ramadan is likely begin from March 11 or March 12 depending on the sighting of the moon.
37,926 posts headmasters, assistant teachers vacant in primary schools: State Minister
There are 37,926 vacant posts of headmaster and assistant teachers in 66,566 primary schools in the country at present.
State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Ministry Md. Zakir Hossen informed this at parliament on Tuesday.
In response to a question of Awami League MP, Abul Kalam Azad, Zakir Hossen said that the government has a plan to fill the vacant posts of headmaster and assistant teachers.
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In reply to the lawmakers’ tabled question, the state minister said, 29,858 posts of headmaster and 8,068 posts of assistant teacher are vacant now.
He said that a requisition was sent to the Bangladesh Public Service Commission on January 4 from the Ministry of Public Administration for the filling 1,955 vacancies of headmasters.
In reply to another query from Jatiya Party MP Pir Fazlur Rahman, the State Minister for Primary and Mass Education said that the total number of primary school teachers in the country is 4.27 lakh. Among them, 3.90 lakh are in service.
Meanwhile, Education Minister Dipu Moni in reply to a query from reserved seat MP Khaleda Khanam, told parliament that there is a plan to establish a university in each district and a medical university in each division.
She informed the House that at present there are two women's universities in the country—one is a private university and the other is an international women's university.
Also Read: 366 govt primary schools in Kurigram run without head teacher
In response to a query from AL MP Nasimul Alam Chowdhury, the education minister said that work in going on to introduce automation software to stop the fraud of educational certificates at the higher education level.
“Once the software is launched, it will be possible to save all the information of university level students and the certificate can be verified online from anywhere in the world. It will be possible to stop certificate fraud,” she also said.
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She said that action has already been taken against 678 teachers/employees having fake certificates.
1000 schools to be established in char areas: State Minister
The government has taken a plan to set up 1000 more primary schools in the char areas of the country, said State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Md Zakir Hossain on Thursday.
“Already, the work to establish primary schools in 20 chars has started ,” he said while speaking at a programme on the occasion of 50th anniversary of Phulbari Degree College in the district.
The state minister also urged the teachers, students, former students and guardians not to forget the roots, no matter whether they are living now.
Read more: 366 govt primary schools in Kurigram run without head teacher
Md Zakir Hossain inaugurated the golden jubilee ceremony of the college which was established on April 27, 1973.
The college authorities have taken a two-day programme on the occasion.
265 schools in Kurigram closed as teachers attend political wedding
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) has denounced the incident where teachers of 265 primary schools in Kurigram attending the wedding reception of the son of the state minister of primary and mass education keeping the schools closed.
Head teachers have institutionalised personal invitations using their three days of reserved leave in such a way, the graft watchdog body said in a statement on Tuesday.
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In this regard, a clear explanation from the government is needed as to whether this leave reserved for special circumstances can be used for such events or not, it said.
According to the media reports, the teachers of Chilmari, Roumari and Char Rajibpur upazilas of Kurigram attended the wedding reception on January 8. They also presented gold rings, a refrigerator and a washing machine after each teacher contributed Tk 500 each compulsorily.
The TIB has demanded that all those involved, including the state minister, should be made accountable for such an incident that demonstrated the destruction of the country's education sector through partisanship and abuse of power.
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TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman said, “This incident is an extremely alarming example of the country's education system being held hostage by factionalism and abuse of power in the long process. None of the state ministers, education officers concerned and teachers can avoid the responsibility.”
The government should publish an explanation in this regard for the information of the public, especially the students, he added.
In-person classes at primary schools to resume Wednesday
In-person classes at primary schools across the country will resume on Wednesday with strict Covid-19 protocols in place.
Earlier on February 18, the government decided to resume in-person classes at primary schools from March 1 in view of the declining Covid cases across Bangladesh.
Read: Senior schools, universities reopen after a month
In-person classes at all secondary, higher secondary and university-level educational institutions resumed on February 22.
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.
Read: Primary schools to reopen on March 1: Ministry
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.
Primary schools to reopen on March 1: Ministry
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.
Read: Senior schools, universities to reopen on Feb 22: 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.
Read:Covid surge: Closure of schools, colleges extended until Feb 20
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.
JS body for filling 1585 vacant posts in CHT primary schools
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) Affairs Ministry on Tuesday recommended recruiting teachers in 1,585 vacant posts in the primary schools in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) areas.
It also suggested nationalising 142 primary schools under special consideration in the CHT areas under a project that was taken to establish 1000 primary schools in the villages where there is no school.
The parliamentary standing committee came up with the recommendations at its 9th meeting held in the Jatiya Sangsad (JS) Bhaban with its chairman Alhaj Md Dabirul Islam in the chair.
The parliamentary watchdog also asked the government to shift the responsibility of recruiting Doptori (employee) of primary schools to District Councils from the District Administrators (Deputy Commissioners) as per the rules and policy formulated in line with the CHT Peace Accord.
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In the meeting, it was said that a total of 1048 head teachers and 6789 assistant teachers are teaching in the primary schools in three CHT districts.
Committee members CHT Affairs Minister Bir Bahadur Ushwe Sing (Bandarban), Dipankar Talukdar (Rangamati), A.B.M. Fazle Karim Chowdhury (Chattogram-6), Kujendra Lal Tripura, Mir Mushtaque Ahmed Robi (Satkhira-2) and Basanti Chakma (Women Seat-9) attended the meeting.
The CHT Affairs Secretary and other officials from the ministry and the parliament secretariat were present at the meeting, said a Jatiya Sangsad handout.
Covid surge in Bangladesh: Primary schools to remain shut until Aug 31
Amid the recent spike in Coronavirus, the government has extended the closure of primary schools and kindergartens across Bangladesh until August 31 to protect students from virus infections.
The decision in this regard was taken on Friday, said a handout came from the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education.
The handout said students have to abide by health guidelines and regulations issued from time to time by the Prime Minister's Office, Cabinet Division, Ministry of Public Administration and Health Services Department.
Also read: Covid-19 in Bangladesh: Schools, colleges to remain closed until Aug 31
The government has also extended the closure of secondary and higher secondary-level educational institutions until August 31.
Covid situation in Bangladesh
As the Delta variant of Covid-19 engulfed the country, Bangladesh recorded 239 more deaths caused by the virus in 24 hours till Thursday morning.
Besides, 15,271 new people came out Covid positive during the period after the test of 52,282 samples, according to a handout issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
The fresh cases took the country’s Covid death tally to 20,255 today while the caseload to 1,226,253.
The country has been seeing nearly 200 deaths a day for the past two weeks, shattering the records of daily cases and deaths almost every other day.
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Meanwhile, the daily test-positivity rate declined slightly to 29.21% from Wednesday's 30.12% while the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a 5% or below rate.
However, the case fatality rate remained unchanged at 1.65 % during the period, said the DGHS.
Coronavirus: Primary schools, kindergartens to remain shut until May 29
The recent spurt in Covid-19 cases has forced the government to extend the closure of primary schools and kindergartens until May 29 to protect the students from virus infection.
The decision was taken Sunday, said a handout from the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education.
But classes will continue online during the closure, it said.
Read: Bangladesh extends lockdown until May 23
Students have to abide by health guidelines and regulations issued from time to time by the Prime Minister's Office, Cabinet Division, Ministry of Public Administration and Health Services Department.
The government also extended the closure of secondary and higher secondary level educational institutions until May 29.
Covid-19 situation in Bangladesh
Bangladesh recorded 363 new Covid-19 cases in 24 hours until Sunday morning as the number of sample tests declined drastically since the beginning of Eid holidays.
Only 5,430 samples were tested during the period. The number was much higher before the Eid-ul-Fitr.
Besides, the country recorded 25 deaths, taking the death toll to 12,149, according to a handout of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
Read: Bangladesh sees only 363 new Covid cases as sample testing falls amid Eid
The mortality rate rose to 1.56 percent from Saturday’s 1.55 percent while the infection rate is 6.69 percent.
So far, 7,80,159 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the country.
The government has extended the ongoing lockdown until May 23 considering the overall situation.