Bangladesh schools reopen after 18-month Covid shutdown

Children in Bangladesh flooded back into classrooms on Sunday as schools reopened after 18 months, one of the world's longest coronavirus shutdowns.

However, the majority of students will still not be attending the classes on a daily basis as the government has allowed only students of Classes 5, 10 and 12 to attend the classes on a daily basis. Other students from class 1-4 and 6-9 and 11 will attend classes once a week till the government decides to open the schools for everyone on a daily basis.

The resumption came after UNICEF warned that prolonged school closures during the Covid-19 crisis were worsening inequities for millions of children across South Asia.
Schools will not permit assemblies to be held during this period but a few physical activities may be permitted keeping in mind the mental and physical health of students.

Prior to the opening of the schools, the government had issued a 19 point guideline outlining the steps to be followed by the school administration. It requires temperature monitoring of teachers, students and staff, keeping one room as an isolation centre to be used in case of need, maintaining social distance of 3 feet, providing handwashing facilities, cleanliness and awareness measures among others.
The schools are required to send a regular report to the government about compliance with the health guidelines.

Only 41 percent of Bangladesh's 169 million population have smartphones, according to the country's telecom operators' association, which means millions of children cannot access online classes.
Even with smartphones, students in many of Bangladesh's rural districts do not have the high-speed internet access usually required for e-learning.