The government is planning to shorten syllabus of the primary schools to evaluate the performance of the students affected by the corona situation in the country.

State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Ministry Md Zakir Hossain disclosed the planning of the government while addressing a virtual seminar organized by Education Reporters Association of Bangladesh (ERAB) on Monday.
He said that “If the corona situation would improve and educational institutions remain reopened in September, the academic session of the primary schools would have been completed this year. Otherwise, the academic year would be extended till February next year.”

“The students will be evaluated by shortening the primary syllabus whenever the educational institution reopens,” he said.

ERAB President Mostak Ahmed presided over the webinar titled “Challenges and way out of Primary education amid Corona” while the ministry’s Secretary Akram Al Hossain, Directorate of Primary Education (DPE) Director General Md Fashiullah, Executive Director of Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE) Rasheda K. Choudhury, ERAB Secretary general Nejamul Haque also spoke among others.

State Minister Zakir Hossain said directives were given to the DPE and National primary Education Academy to prepare the revised syllabus to hold the exams after reopening of the schools.

Mentioning that the National Academy of Primary Education is working on how to take Primary Education Completion (PEC) and class-based exams, he said “The government has no plans to stop the PEC right now. But we are thinking to form a board to make the PEC exam more time-befitting.”

Mentioning various initiatives of the government to minimise losses of the students due to impact of covid-19, the ministry’s Secretary Akram Al Hossain said the ministry will broadcast the primary classes on radio within the next couple of weeks.
“We will reach to 96 percent of our students by broadcasting the classes on the radio,” he said adding that “They will also open a hotline where the students will also be able to talk to teachers for five minutes free of cost.”

Educationist Rasheda K. Choudhury said that the disparity in education is increasing amid the covid-19 pandemic while the attraction of TV classes is being lost.

She also said “Why the tax burden on the Internet? It was not withdrawn for which invisible reason? I demand to withdraw it immediately; otherwise it is not possible to ensure uninterrupted internet connection.”

The former advisor to the caretaker government also threw a question that how a digital Bangladesh will be build without internet facilities.