Dailynewsun report :
The government has extended the closure of all educational institutions till December 19 due to the Covid pandemic.
The education ministry and the primary and mass education ministry issued two separate statements to that effect yesterday.
All primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities will remain shut till December 19, according to the statements.
The education ministry directed all schools and colleges to carry on online classes as per its previous instructions. It also said the educational programmes on Sangsad TV will continue as usual.
On March 17, the government closed the schools due to the pandemic and extended the closure in several phases. Academic activities of around four crore students are being hampered due to the pandemic.
The long closure has led to cancellation of exams and left academic calendars in disarray.
This year’s Higher Secondary Certificate and equivalent exams, Primary Education Completion and its equivalent exams, and Junior School Certificate and its equivalent exams were cancelled.
In place of HSC exams, candidates will be evaluated based on their results in JSC and SSC tests.
More than one crore students of Class-VI to IX will be promoted to the next classes this year without any annual examinations, the government announced. Instead, school authorities will give assignments to students.
Because of the pandemic, the government will not hold the Textbook Festival on January 1 when textbooks are handed over to primary and secondary students for free.
It also delayed introduction of new curriculums by a year. The pandemic also made the admission tests at schools uncertain.
The government launched educational programmes on Sangsad TV for secondary students on March 29, for primary students on April 7, and for technical and madrassa students on April 19 to help them make up for the losses due to the closure of educational institutions.
Many guardians said it was only partially fulfilling the objective, as almost half of the people — many of them underprivileged — do not have access to TV sets.
