School during the Ramadan

The government's decision to keep all the primary schools open until 20 Ramadan is not the right one. The state minister for Primary and Mass Education said that the decision has been taken to offset the learning losses caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. This is true that students have lost valuable academic months due to the pandemic. In-person classes in primary schools resumed fully on March 15 after a 726-day pandemic-induced closure. So, there is a natural urge to make up for some losses.

Now, the holy month of Ramadan will be observed in April this year. This is the beginning of the summer and the temperature has already started to rise. It will be difficult for the teachers, staff and guardians who observe fasting. Students in Dhaka and elsewhere will also face difficulties on account of commuting. During Ramadan, traffic in Dhaka usually turns into a nightmare. Sickness due to possible heat waves can't be ruled out.

So, the government needs to rethink the decision. At the most, schools should remain open until 15 Ramadan.

Farzana Naz

Moghbazar, Dhaka

[email protected]