Plan for online, in-person classes on alternate days in schools, colleges

The Ministry of Education has taken an initiative to introduce blended classes—combining online and in-person teaching—in educational institutions (excluding universities) in city areas amid the global energy crisis. Initially, a proposal is under consideration to hold classes six days a week, with three days online and three days in person on an alternate basis.

That means if classes are held online on Saturday, they will be conducted in person on Sunday. In this way, the weekly schedule is being planned so that an online class day is followed by an in-person class the next day.

This is currently a plan of the Ministry of Education. A final decision will be made after consultation with the Prime Minister or discussion in a cabinet meeting.

The information was obtained from a meeting of the Ministry of Education. Earlier today, Tuesday, replying to queries from journalists at the Secretariat, Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Haque Milon said discussions are underway to introduce online classes alongside in-person teaching. A proposal on the matter will be presented at the cabinet meeting scheduled for Thursday, where a final decision will be taken.

Later, the issue was discussed at an exchange meeting at the Ministry of Education attended by teachers from various schools and colleges in Dhaka city, as well as officials from education boards and the ministry. At the meeting, a proposal was made to hold classes six days a week, with three days online and three days in person. Teachers would take classes from their institutions, and schedules could be set based on odd-even days for online and in-person sessions. However, practical classes would be conducted in person. There will also be room to revise the decision if problems arise.

An official of the Ministry of Education, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Prothom Alo that this is still under discussion within the ministry. It will be finalised once approved by the Prime Minister or decided in the cabinet.

Before the view-exchange meeting, the Education Minister told journalists that they are considering encouraging online education activities. Given the global crisis—particularly the energy crisis—Bangladesh is also affected. No one knows how long this crisis will last. Therefore, they are thinking of bringing the country’s school system under a blended method of online and in-person teaching. Due to holidays during the holy Ramadan and various movements, some scheduled classes were missed. As a result, schools have been made six days a week (including the next 10 Saturdays). Amid the global energy crisis, they are now considering whether a blended method can be implemented.

The minister said that a survey has already shown that 55 per cent of stakeholders favour moving toward online classes. However, there is also concern about whether going fully online could make students socially isolated. A proposal will be placed at Thursday’s cabinet meeting for discussion, after which a decision will be made. They are currently considering this blended approach.

In response to a question about how many days of the six-day week would be in person and how many online, the minister did not specify. He said they want a mixed system and will present a proposal, but the final decision will depend on what the cabinet approves. He also noted that the proposal has not yet been formally submitted.

The minister added that the plan is being considered for all levels of educational institutions except universities, particularly focusing on metropolitan areas.

Educational institutions reopened last Sunday after nearly 40 days of holidays due to the holy Ramadan, Eid-ul-Fitr, and other occasions. Meanwhile, the Iran war situation has led to an energy crisis affecting many countries, including Bangladesh. To reduce pressure on energy consumption, the idea of partial online teaching in educational institutions has been proposed.

Earlier, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, all educational institutions in the country were closed on 17 March, 2020. Although online and television-based classes were introduced as alternatives during the nearly one-and-a-half-year closure, various studies found their effectiveness to be limited. Education experts believe that there is no full substitute for classroom teaching, though alternative methods are necessary given the current realities.