Bangladesh has further extended the ongoing shutdown of secondary and higher secondary level educational institutions to June 12 amid the surging coronavirus infections in the country.
Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni made the disclosure at an emergency media briefing on Wednesday.
The ministry, however, is all prepared for the reopening of educational institutions and will provide in-person teaching shortly once the pandemic situation improves significantly, she added.
Earlier, the educational institutions were scheduled to be reopened on May 29 in line with the previous government decision amid the ongoing Covid restrictions but the prevailing pandemic situation has forced the government to extend the shutdown.
About 40 million primary and higher secondary students have been facing difficulties as in-person classes remain suspended due to the pandemic, while online and TV classes are allegedly not helping them much.
Meanwhile, the minister also said the SSC and HSC examinations of 2021 and 2022 will be held with a short syllabus.
Dipu Moni said that in 2021, the SSC candidates will participate in 60 days of classes and then will sit for the examination while the HSC candidates will sit for the exam after 84 days of classes. The SSC candidates and HSC candidates of 2022 will have classes of 150 days and for 180 days respectively.