Dipu Moni
Full in-person classes at secondary schools, colleges to resume Tuesday: Dipu
Full-fledged physical classes in secondary and higher secondary-level educational institutions will resume from March 15, said Education Minister Dipu Moni on Saturday.
Dipu Moni made the announcement while inaugurating ‘Lila Nag building’ at Sher E Bangla Balika Mahabidyalaya in the city’s Tikatuli area.
“The number of exams will reduce with the introduction of new curricula which will remove the fear of exams among the students. We will be able to come out of examinations-dependent evaluation system as evaluation will be done on a daily basis.”
READ: Female students fare much better in exams: Dipu Moni
“A limited-scale exam will be taken at the year’s end but the final evaluation will be done coordinating students’ performance round the year,” she added.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic educational institutions in the country remained closed for around two years .
After a 17-month closure, students in Bangladesh had briefly returned to their classrooms on September 12 last year.
Again, on January 21, the government announced that all schools and colleges in Bangladesh would 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.
READ: MPO for new educational institutions to be announced this month: Dipu Moni
After a month-long shutdown, all secondary, higher secondary and university-level institutions in Bangladesh reopened on February 22 for physical classes. However, primary schools in Bangladesh reopened for limited-scale in-person classes on March 2.
2-day weekly holiday in all educational institutions from 2023: Dipu Moni
The government will introduce two-day weekly holiday in all educational institutions in the country from the next year, Education Minister Dipu Moni has said.
Dipu Moni came up with the announcement on Saturday while addressing the inauguration program of the new curricula of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB).
“There are already two weekly holidays in universities and in some secondary and higher secondary level education institutions. We proposed two-day weekly holiday for the secondary and the higher secondary level educational institutions to the Prime Minister with the new curriculum plan.”
The PM later added the primary educational institutions in the plan, she said.
Also read: Covid-19 Advisory Committee to meet tonight to discuss reopening of educational institutions: Dipu
Sixty-two educational institutions which have been brought under the new curricula will get two weekly holidays from this year, she said.
Piloting of the new curricula will start in these institutions from February 22 with the reopening of the education institutions.
Dipu Moni said there might be faults and mistakes in the books inaugurated today as they have been published newly under the curricula.
“As the piloting begins, we will get feedback every week to determine success of our efforts with the new curriculum,” she said.
Also read: Educational institutions may be reopened at Feb-end: Hasina
About introducing technical education in all educational institutions, the minister said,” It will need a huge investment in the education sector as newn infrastructures like workshops, laboratories, tools will be needed to introduce technical education in all educational institutions.
“Already technical education has been initiated in 600 educational institutions. This will need to be done in phases as we have included the subjects of life and livelihoods in the new curricula,” Dipu Moni added.
Removal of VC up to President Hamid: Dipu Moni to SUST students
The agitating students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) have reiterated their demand for the resignation of the Vice-Chancellor Farid Uddin in their meeting with Education Minister Dipu Moni.
Dipu said that demand for the resignation of the VC will be presented to the president as he, also the Chancellor of the university, holds the power to appoint and remove someone in the post of VC.
The students raised a total of eight demands during the three-hour meeting with the education minister at the Circuit House in Sylhet on Friday.
After the meeting, Dipu told reporters, "We have listened to them attentively during the discussions."
"However, some of the demands of the students have already been met. Their main demand is the resignation or removal of the VC," she added.
The other demands made by the students- start of classes and examinations, withdrawal of cases against students, opening of closed mobile banking accounts of more than 250 students, provision of one-time financial assistance to student Sajal Kunda who was injured in police firing and confirmation of ninth grade job for him, recruit Md Zafar Iqbal and Yasmin Haque as Emeritus Professors, increase the budget for research in all universities, implementation of coding system in examination system, introduction of recruitment process on the basis of PhD and demo class in teacher recruitment.
Apart from Dipu Moni, Deputy Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel and Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Imran Ahmed were in the meeting with the students, teachers and different SUST organisations.
Meanwhile, Dipu Moni advised Farid Uddin Ahmed to fulfill his responsibilities as the VC of SUST, said SUST Registrar Md Ishfaqul Hussain.
He also said the minister called upon the teachers to restore normalcy on campus during the talks.
The education minister also informed that the allegations made by students against the VC are being investigated, said SUST Treasurer Anwarul Islam.
Dipu Moni in Sylhet to diffuse SUST crisis
A three-member ministerial team, led by Education Minister Dipu Moni, arrived in Sylhet Friday morning to hold talks with the protesting students of the coveted Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST).
The SUST students resumed their protests Wednesday, after their demand for the removal of Vice-Chancellor Farid Uddin Ahmed was not met.
Apart from Dipu Moni, Deputy Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel and Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Minister Imran Ahmed are part of the team, that's slated to hold meetings with the students, teachers and different SUST organisations between 4pm and 7pm.
Also read: Dipu Moni to visit SUST Friday as protests resume
Their aim is to diffuse the ongoing crisis on the university campus, UNB has learnt. The three ministers will depart for capital Dhaka on a late-night domestic flight.
Dipu Moni to visit SUST Friday as protests resume
Education Minister Dipu Moni will hold a meeting with the students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology University (SUST) on Friday as they resumed demonstrations demanding Vice Chancellor Farid Uddin Ahmed’s resignation.
“The personal secretary to the minister said she’ll start for Sylhet at 8 am and will hold a meeting with SUST students,” Mujibor Rahman, Deputy Commissioner of Sylhet, told UNB on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the SUST authorities removed its proctor Dr Md Alamgir Kabir, whose resignation was one of the demands of protesting students.
Md Ishrat Ibne Ismail, Associate Professor of the English Department of SUST, has been made the new proctor, according to a notice signed by registrar Isfaqul Hossain on Thursday.
The notice, however, mentioned personal and family issues as the reason for his withdrawal.
Earlier on February 6, the authorities appointed Prof Amina Parveen of the Department of Social Work as the new Student Counselling and Guidance Director removing Prof Zahir Uddin Ahmed from the position due to his “sickness”.
SUST students brought out a procession on the campus on Thursday morning and marked the place with a red handprint where police attacked them in front of IICT building on January 16, said Shahria Abedin, a protesting student.
SUST 'problems' to be solved soon, but VC's removal 'a different matter'
The problems of the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) students in Sylhet will be solved soon, said Education Minister Dipu Moni Wednesday.
However, the minister said the resignation or removal of the vice-chancellor (VC) is a different issue. "If one VC leaves, another one will come."
"The solution to students' problems does not depend on whether a VC stays or not. So the problems need to be solved," Dipu told the media during a press briefing at her residence Wednesday.
The minister said she wants to solve the problems, including accommodation and food quality issues, facing the students. "I am also ready to sit with the students whenever they want, as they are physically and emotionally exhausted now."
The education minister said the students' movement was logical. "But the police attack on the students was unacceptable as many students got injured."
Asked about the resignation of VC Farid Uddin Ahmed, the sole demand of the students and they would also say their sole problem, the minister said, "There are various processes for the removal of the VC. The VC has been appointed by the president, who is the chancellor of the university. We will see what we can do about it after solving the students' problems."
She said the cases filed against the protesting students during the movement will not affect their future. "I will talk about the withdrawal of the cases."
"We got a chance to look into the problems (of students) through what happened at SUST. This is not just their problem alone, as all public universities are facing residential and food crises. We want to move forward by solving all the problems," the minister said.
READ: 5 ex-SUST students granted bail
Meanwhile, the five former students of SUST were granted bail on Wednesday evening. The alumni were arrested from Dhaka, on the charge of sending money to the protesting students at the university.
Meanwhile, over two dozen SUST students who went on fast unto death ended their week-long hunger strike on Wednesday.
The students embarked on fast-unto-death on the university campus on January 19, demanding the resignation of the SUST vice-chancellor over the police crackdown on their fellows.
Around 10.20am on Wednesday, the students broke their fast after former SUST Professor Muhammad Zafar Iqbal gave them water to drink.
READ: Police attack on SUST students: Zafar Iqbal criticizes teachers for their role
The eminent writer and his wife Yasmeen Huq, also a former SUST teacher, came to the university in Sylhet from Dhaka around 4am and met the protesting students.
Qawmi madrasas need to be regulated: Dipu Moni
Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni on Sunday told Parliament that it is essential to bring the country’s religious educational institutions, including Qawmi madrasas, under the registration process of the government.
“Qawmi madrasas need to be regulated bringing those under a single board. It’s essential to make a time-befitting educational system for religious educational institutions, including Qawmi madrasas, and bring those under the government’s registration process,” she said.
Read: Ulama Mashayekh urges govt. to reopen Qawmi madrasas
The education minister said this while replying to a starred question from ruling Awami League MP AKM Rahmatullah (Dhaka-11).
SUST unrest: Resolution a Zoom call away?
There is some guarded hope for a resolution to the crisis at the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST), after agitating students seemed prepared to sit for discussions with Education Minister Dipu Moni over an online platform like Zoom. This was after the education minister urged the protesting students once again to sit with her for talks to resolve the current standoff, moving away from their hunger strike.
“Students can hold a discussion with us even during the hunger strike if they wish as it is the only way to reach a solution,” the minister said after holding a meeting with a delegation of teachers from SUST at her residence at 6:05pm.
She went on saying, “Due to some family obligations, I’m unable to go to Sylhet at the moment but the door is always open for the students for discussions. A delegation team from the ministry will go to SUST if they want.”
She also said the police action on the students was really unfortunate. “We never expect this type of incident”.
Later, in response to the minister’s call, the students said they want to sit for discussions with her on an online platform. “If she can’t come to Sylhet, we’re ready to have discussions.”
Earlier in the day, the students brought out a symbolic coffin procession on the campus. Around 8pm, they lit candles at Golchattar as part of their protests.
Meanwhile, 17 of the 24 students – already on hunger strike since Wednesday afternoon – were hospitalised.
On Friday, Education Minister Dipu Moni talked to the students and said she wanted a solution to the crisis as soon as possible.
On Monday, the students wrote an open letter to President Abdul Hamid, chancellor of the university, demanding the immediate removal of VC Farid Uddin Ahmed.
The students also turned down the notice of shutting down the university for an indefinite period and the directive to leave their dormitories.
Currently, the students are staying on the campus.
SUST was supposed to shut down following a clash on the campus between police and the protesting students on January 16. The students were asked to leave the dormitories by 12pm the next day.
Classes to go online if Covid spreads to educational institutions: Minister
Education Minister Dipu Moni on Tuesday said classes will be held online if the Omicron variant spreads to educational institutions.
“The situation to shut all the educational institutions has not been created yet in the country,” she said while talking to reporters after attending the DCs’ Conference 2022 at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium.
READ: Don’t pay heed to rumours over closure of educational institutions: Ministry
“Students will join online classes from home if Omicron spreads in educational institutions. Until then, there’s no plan to shut in-person classes,” Dipu Moni added.
She said some of the university students have contracted the Omicron variant of Covid-19 but they are staying isolated and no one of them is seriously ill.
The education minister said the information was confirmed by public university VCs during a meeting held on Tuesday.
She said now priority is being given to vaccinating students, aged between 12 to 17 years. “Until Monday, 86 lakh students have been brought under the Covid vaccination campaign”, she said.
Educational institutions are being monitored on a regular basis and a meeting will be arranged with the National Technical Advisory Committee (NTAC) on Covid-19 on the overall situation in a day or two, said Dipu Moni.
READ: Decision on educational institutions after meeting with NTAC: Dipu Moni
After a long closure due to the pandemic, the students of schools and colleges 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.
All students to be vaccinated by Jan 31: Dipu Moni
All the students, aged 12 or above, will be vaccinated with at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine by January 31 so that they can attend schools and colleges, said Education Minister Dipu Moni on Monday.
Addressing a press briefing at the secretariat, the education minister said 48,19,554 students have been vaccinated against Covid so far.
“Those who have not been vaccinated yet will join classes online after January 12 and they’ll be allowed to attend classes after receiving the vaccine,” she told journalists.
“As we’ve planned, we hope it’ll be possible to complete the vaccination of students in 397 upazilas by January 15, in three upazilas by January 17, in 56 upazilas by January 20, in 15 upazilas by January 22, in 35 upazilas by January 25 and 11 upazilas by 31st January.”
“In other words, by January 31, we’ll be able to vaccinate 75,54,606 students with the first dose at least,” she added.
The education minister also said no registration is required for students to get vaccinated. Students can get vaccinated after showing the identity cards of schools and colleges. A Level and O Level students as well as SSC, and HSC examinees will be able to get vaccinated showing their admit cards, she said.
Among 1,16,23,322 students aged 12-18, 44 lakh have received the first dose while 4,19,554 the second dose.
About the possible closure of educational institutions amid the Covid surge, Dipu Moni said, “Educational institutions won’t be closed now as we’ll strengthen monitoring there to enforce health protocols.”