Govt in a bind over school closure

The education authorities seem to be going back and forth on the closure of educational institutions amid the ongoing heatwave baking the country. The education ministry initially extended the closure for a week until April 27 and reopened all schools and colleges on Sunday ignoring guardians' concerns. Yesterday, it again announced closure of all schools and colleges in five districts, including Dhaka, for a day. Two teachers died and three other teachers and 30 schoolchildren fell ill from heat-related problems in different districts on Sunday. At least 30 more students in six districts, which were not under the purview of the closure, reportedly became sick yesterday. Even the High Court had to step in, directing the authorities concerned to shut all primary and secondary schools and madrasas until Thursday. The HC bench of Justice KM Kamrul Quader and Justice Khizir Hayat Lizu passed the order yesterday in a suo motu (voluntary) rule. Hours after the order, the primary education ministry announced closure of all public primary schools until May 2 and the education ministry shut secondary educational institutions in 27 districts of five divisions, including Dhaka, for today. Education Minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury, however, said that his ministry would lodge an appeal against the HC order. "According to the constitution, the education ministry has the jurisdiction to decide when the educational institutions would be closed and how they would be run. The rules of business gave the education ministry the jurisdiction to do so," he told reporters in Dhaka in response to a question about the HC order. Mohibul, however, said the HC has the authority to issue directives or orders on some issues, which is also constitutionally legal. "But if any decision comes on a particular matter on which the education ministry already has the constitutional jurisdiction, then we will definitely put the matter before the Appellate Division. "We believe that it is in the best interests of all that each institution of the state exercises its own authority," the minister said. *MORE STUDENTS FALL ILL* Yesterday, at least 12 students in Narail, seven in Cumilla, four in Noakhlai, and five in Barishal became sick during the school hours. Some of them lost consciousness. Asked whether students fell sick because of the ministry's directive to keep schools open, the education minister said, "We will also have to look into whether the students are becoming sick in or outside schools." "Where do the students stay when they are not in schools? We have seen at the grassroots level that students work in the fields and help their parents in their work and that is more dangerous for them. They are not exposed to danger if they are at school," Mohibul said. Many guardians who expressed concern over the resumption of in-person classes amid the heatwave did not buy the minister's logic. They argued that the students need to travel to and from schools amid scorching temperatures. In the rural areas, many schools are located far away from the students' houses, which exposes learners, particularly those who walk to schools, to health risks, guardians said.
Published on: 2024-04-29 20:16:38.677539 +0200 CEST