Primary students’ TV classes go on air Thursday

Authorities are all set to provide education to primary students through television from Thursday, aiming to minimise the loss of the academic session due to closure of educational institutions.

"We will start broadcasting recorded lectures of renowned teachers for students from pre-primary to Class V through Sangsad Bangladesh Television," Directorate of Primary Education Director General Md Fasiullah told The Daily Star yesterday.

He said classes will take place for two hours from 2pm daily and students will be informed detail routine.

DPE oversees over 1 lakh primary schools, madrasas, and kindergartens, which have over 1.74 crore students.

Teachers said in an almost lockdown situation it is critical to provide help to children, who are turning restless in home confinement. Such class work might bring them some relief, said their parents as well as other caregivers.

On March 16, government closed down all educational institutions March 17 to 31; later the shutdown was extended to April 9.

Top education officials said there is a strong possibility that the government will extend the closure till April 14 -- and perhaps even till the 25th. And in case of the latter, schools and colleges will remain off till May 31 for the Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr vacation.

Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education started TV education through the same channel on March 29. According to the DSHE official, there are about 90 lakh students currently enrolled in sixth to tenth grades in schools across the country.

Many guardians welcomed the government move to broadcast recorded lectures of renowned teachers for students through Sangsad Television.

They, however, were sceptical about the effectiveness of the mode of transmission.

The Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2019 of Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics shows that 50 percent households of the country do not have television sets.