How will schools reopen during this crisis?

The second wave of coronavirus has spiked deep concerns about life and livelihood. For the 40 million (4 crore) students of the country, their lives and livelihood depend on education. They have lost around 15 months of normal life. This can be restored by adopting certain measures. The budget of the coming fiscal should have allocation for this purpose.

A number of suggestions were made in this regard at an education dialogue organised on 29 April by Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE). Planning minister MA Mannan and education secretary Mahbub Hossain were present at the dialogue. Schools can be opened if four steps are taken. A start can be made to give students back their life and liveliness.

Firstly, we must step back from the idea of opening up all schools in the country simultaneously. This can be done in phases. In Kutubdia and Khagrachhari, not even one on 10,000 persons there has contracted of coronavirus. There is no justification in keeping schools closed there. But health and hygiene protocol must be strictly maintained.

The education and health authorities must take up integrated programmes in every upazila and union. The upazila health complexes and union health clinics must immediately take up antigen tests, coronavirus detection, isolation of coronavirus patients and necessary treatment, and bring all schools and students under this as required. Even if this cannot be successfully carried out all over, this must be undertaken immediately. It is not comprehendible why rapid antigen tests are not being extensively carried out. Experts say we may have to live permanently with Covid and similar contagions.

Secondly, simply keeping schools open is not enough. Proper measures must be taken for the damages that have been incurred. Rather than taking the easy steps from an administrative viewpoint, the decision must be taken from an education science angle. How the students will acquire knowledge and skills must be kept in mind. Till now the authorities are just mulling over how much of the syllabus must be dropped in keeping with how many days of the academic year will be left once school is opened. This rule will be applied, keeping six subjects for the primary level and 13 for the secondary level. The annual exam will also be taken in keeping with this concise syllabus and the students will be promoted to the next class at the end of the year. There may be some cuts in the next year too and the class promotions and academic year will continue as normal. This is a matter of administrative convenience.

When the students are promoted to the next class without studying several components, how will they cope with all the studies in the next class? It will not be possible to cover this after such an extended period without studies and this will push the students towards failure. The scientific solution for this is to focus on basic skills rather than trying to teach all subjects in such a limited span of time. At the primary level, attention must be paid to Bangla and math. At the secondary level, up till Class 10 the focus should be on Bangla, math, science and English. There should be no cuts here. If the students can acquire the knowledge and skills of these basic subjects properly, they can be quite self-reliant and will be able to take care of the other subjects in future.

The curriculum board and education authorities must understand this and take steps accordingly. The teachers must be prepared. The method and system of teaching must be brushed up. The teachers must be given instruction manuals based on the subjects and the classes. The subjects must also be given to the students online, as supplement to the classroom studies. The teachers must be given incentive for their performance. MPO enlisted teachers of non-government schools must also be included in this initiative. They are many in number and they are suffering too.

However, even by reducing the subjects it will not be possible in a short time to overcome the damages wrought by an extended period of closure. And so the current academic year can be extended by another six months, till June 2022. Time need not be wasted on studying for annual exams and for the start of a new year. In order words, promotion to the next class can be pushed back by six months.

Taking advantage of this necessary measure during the crisis, changes can be made in the school academic year. So the new academic year of 2022 and class promotion will be after the summer break, from the second half of September. As it is, many are of the opinion that there is need to change of the academic year as set in the colonial times and to adapt it to our climate. As in many other countries, in the September to June academic year, regular school can be run during the relatively temperate weather free of storms from October to February. There can be a long summer vacation from July to the first half of September. There will be no holiday for Holy Ramadan unless it is in the summer. But timings can be changed during Ramadan, as in other offices.

The authorities are in a dilemma over the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) exams. What exams can be taken in this year for one and a half months, of what subjects and when? In this case too, in terms of basic skill, the SSC exam can be taken of Bangla, math, English and science, in four days. Even if more subjects are added to HSC, the exams can be completed in a week. This decision can be announced very soon for the 2021-22 academic year, safeguarding the students from health risks and mental stress.

Thirdly, the government must come forward to take the local communities and NGOs as partners for the successful opening of schools, making up for losses in studies and recovery. Government officials must join hands with them so that the central directives and policy can be applied in every upazila and school according to the circumstances, drawing up work plans for every upazila and every school, supervising and monitoring this, determining financial requirements and taking necessary decisions. A workforce must be created in every upazila and school. It would be a big step to recruit teachers’ assistants to along with local NGOs to provide help to the students who have fallen behind in their studies. CAMPE’s countrywide network can be used for the purpose.

Fourthly, the lunch programme for the pre-primary and primary stage must be accelerated and all students included in this over the next two years. In neighbouring West Bengal, while school remained closed, rice, lentils and oil was provided to the families of the students. All over India, up till Class 8, all students are provided with lunch at government expense. Why will we not be able to do so? We claim to have crossed India in average income.

The two education ministries are responsible for the proposal and planning regarding these decisions. It is also their responsibility to draw up a budget and demand. Then the finance ministry can include these proposals in the new budget under the overall directives of the prime minister.

* Dr Manzoor Ahmed is Emeritus Professor of BRAC University,

* This column appeared in the print and online edition of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten for the English edition by Ayesha Kabir