No plan to halt classes

There is no plan to close classrooms for Covid-19, Education Minister Dipu Moni said yesterday.

"We are observing the situation. We will make decisions keeping in mind the safety of students and others," she told reporters at her office.

The flood-affected students who lost their textbooks will be given new books, she informed. The government will then hold the SSC exams postponed amid the devastating floods in recent weeks.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced the inclusion of 2,716 non-government schools, madrasas and technical institutions in the monthly payment order (MPO) scheme, under which non-government teachers get their basic pays and certain monthly allowances from the government.

Of the 2,716 institutions, 2,051 are schools and colleges and 665 are madrasas and technical training institutions, Dipu Moni said.

Educational institutions that qualify for the MPO facilities, but have not been included in the scheme, are encouraged to apply to the authorities concerned in 15 days, she added.