Opening educational institutions: Challenges ahead

The government of Bangladesh is finally going to open the educational institutions and this is undoubtedly a piece of great news for all. Educational institutions have been closed since March 2020 due to the Covid-19 epidemic and this has created a kind of frustration among the students and a void among the parents. Due to the closure of educational institutions for a long time, students have suffered in various ways, as well as teachers and parents have suffered in many ways, and the whole education system has gone into a state of despair.

There was a kind of pressure on the government from different forums to open the educational institution quickly and the government also sincerely wanted to open the educational institution at any cost and to compensate the loss of the students at any cost.

Everyone is happy with the opening of educational institutes after a long time and there are enough reasons to be happy but at the same time there are some worries and extra caution is required for that. After the opening of the educational institution, there is a possibility of creating an additional pressure of study on the students and in that case different types of examination pressures and different types of financial pressures may be created. Teachers who are more interested in coaching than teaching in the classroom will continue to misguide the learners as soon as the school opens and may put extra pressure on the students, so parents and institution authorities need to be vigilant. Students have not been able to go to school for a long time which has created a kind of emptiness in their minds and to get them out of this emptiness authorities have to gradually create a beautiful environment.

Preparations are being made to open the educational institution from 12th September and in this case, the teachers, parents and administrators must work together to fill the learning gap. The administration must increase vigilance and plan and implement specific policies to ensure that students do not drop out of school in any way. The Corona epidemic is not over yet, it is still dormant, maybe its level has dropped a bit, so the institutions need to be closely monitored to ensure hygiene as soon as they open. Every educational institution should have a specific authority to monitor whether the students are wearing mask according to the specific rules and whether they are washing their hands according to the specific rules and complying with the hygiene rules.

Due to the long shutdown, the educational institutions are littered with piles of rubbish and they have to be cleaned and given a beautiful environment so that the students can join classes in a beautiful environment. In order to maintain the physical distance of the students, the seating plan in the classroom must be arranged in a precise manner and it must be prepared in advance so that the students cannot sit in a crowded classroom. Before entering the school or entering the classroom, each student's body temperature must be checked. It will be necessary to monitor whether the educational institutions are operating in compliance with the government guidelines as many educational institutions may deviate from the rules. Many educational institutions may try to offset the loss of students by taking more exams and more classes but it will not be right. Students need to gradually adapt to the new environment without putting any pressure on them. A small number of students have the opportunity to be vaccinated but after the opening of the educational institution they have to be vaccinated extensively so that they can join classes at ease. Many parents have not been able to pay their children's school fees due to the corona epidemic, some schools or college authority may try to put extra pressure on them, so caution is needed. If a student has any arrears, the school or college authorities have to collect them step by step and no pressure can be put together.

After the opening of the educational institution, every campus will be filled with the enthusiasm of the students and in that case it will be necessary to ensure that the students can walk there without fear. The covid-19 virus may re-emerge after reopening the school, so many parents may not easily let their children go to school, so it is essential to encourage them and help them to follow hygiene rules. Sincere co-operation and everyone's support are must to prevent the re-emergence of covid-19 virus in any way from educational institutions. Online activities should be continued after the opening of the educational institution as there is no need to put too much pressure on the students after the opening of the educational institution. Every campus should have a specific policy or approach to create awareness about Corona among the students. Students need to be closely monitored and authorities will have to ensure that they are not physically and mentally abused and harassed under any circumstances.

There is a tendency in our country's educational institutions to take unnecessary exams and this unexpected exam causes panic among many students and authorities need to prevent such a situation after the opening of the educational institution. The government wants to bring the students back to the class in full in phases and in this case all the educational institutions must strictly follow the instructions of the government. When the educational institution opens, there will be a gathering of different types of people in the institutions, including students, teachers and parents, and of course teachers and parents must be vaccinated quickly. For more than a year and a half, students have been away from school. Some students have had the opportunity to study online, but many have not. And in such a situation, after the opening of the educational institution, if the students are put under the pressure of extra reading, then they may suffer more frustration and may spend their days in panic. One of the biggest responsibilities of teachers in this regard is to present the teaching to the students in a pleasing manner and to ensure the students' participation in the classroom spontaneously. Educational institutions from primary to secondary and higher secondary will be reopened from September 12 and then universities will be reopened and in that case extra vigilance will be required to prevent any unrest.

Various types of examinations are suspended in higher education institutions and these examinations should be taken as soon as the educational institutions open and students should be released so that they can make their position in the job market. The authorities must also keep in mind that many teachers have lost their jobs or many have quit their jobs due to the covid-19 virus pandemic. In such a situation, teacher crisis may arise in the educational institutions, so the authorities must come up with a specific plan on how to fill this gap.

The writer is an educationist