International Economics Report: COVID-19 and Education in Bangladesh

This report, submitted to the Department of International Business at the University of Dhaka, examines the wide-ranging impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the education system of Bangladesh. The report explores the closure of educational institutions, the shift to online learning, and the challenges faced by students and educators. It delves into the origin and spread of the virus, the government's response, and the limitations of the study. The report analyzes the scope, objectives, and methodology used, including the use of secondary data from various sources. It also assesses the difficulties students face, the need for government intervention, and the practical realities of online education in rural areas. The report further includes findings from primary data, survey measures, and recommendations for mitigating the negative effects of the pandemic on education. The report concludes with an overview of the current state of education during the pandemic.

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University of Dhaka
Department of International Business
International Economics
Course Code: IB-301
Submitted To
Dr. Md. Kamal Uddin
Professor
Department of International Business
University of Dhaka
Submitted By
Tanzia Sultana Munny
ID-RH-030-022
Section -B
Session -2017-18
Department of International Business
Faculty of Business Studies
Date of Submission: 02.09.2020

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September 2, 2020
Md. Kamal Uddin
Professor
Department of International Business, University
of Dhaka.
Subject: Submission of report on ‘Impacts on Education of Bangladesh due to Covid-19’.
Sir,
With due honor , I would like to inform you that it was a matter of great pleasure as well as
learning to prepare report on ‘Impacts on Education of Bangladesh due to Covid-19’. To
prepare this report, I have collected studies and material in due time and analyzed these and
eventually finalize the report.
So, I would be highly obliged if you kindly accept the content of the report. Though I have put my
best effort so, I hope that the report will be worthy of your consideration.
Sincerely yours,
Tanzia Sultana Munny
ID-RH-030-022,
Department of International Business,
University of Dhaka.

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Executive Summary
Education is a fundamental human right and it is the bedrock of just, equal and inclusive
societies and a main driver of sustainable development. To prevent a preexisting learning crisis
from turning into a learning catastrophe, governments and the international community must
step up, the policy brief said. The responses Bangladesh made to COVID-19 in general were
chaotic, uncoordinated and unorganized, to say the least (see, here). Responses that were
directed towards the education sector amid the pandemic conveniently kept pace with that
chaos. Once national or local outbreaks of the virus are under control, governments must look
to reopen schools safely, listening to the voices of key stakeholders and coordinating with
relevant actors, including the health community. The gap in education financing globally could
increase by 30 percent because of the crisis. The policy brief said governments need to protect
education financing in national budgets, in international development assistance and through
greater cooperation on debt. To cope better with future crises, governments should strengthen
the resilience of education systems by placing a strong focus on equity and inclusion; and on
reinforce capacities for risk management. Failure to do so poses major risks to international
peace and stability, it said. The transformation of education systems has been stimulated and
reinforced in many countries during the pandemic: innovative solutions for learning and
teaching continuity have flourished. Responses have also highlighted major divides, beginning
with the digital one. It is time to reimagine education and accelerate positive change, and ensure
that education systems are more flexible, equitable, and inclusive, said the policy brief.

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Table of Contents
No Name of Topics Page
Number
1 Introduction 5
2 Scope of the Analysis 6
3 Objective of the Report 6
4 Methodology 7
5 Limitations 7
6 Covid-19 and Its’ Origin 8
7 Education System in Bangladesh 13
8 Education System after COVID-19 16
9 Continuing Classes during Pandemic 19
10 Compliance with the Right to Education during
COVID-19
20
11 Domestic Enforcement of the Right to Education in
Bangladesh
21
12 Online Education and the challenges 22
13 Annex: Primary Data Findings on Education 24
14 Survey Measures the Expected Impacts of COVID-19
Across Education Sectors
27
15 Recommendation 28
16 Conclusions 30

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Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus
disease 2019. The virus was confirmed to have spread to Bangladesh in March 2020. The first
three known cases were reported on 8 March 2020. Since then, the pandemic has spread day
by day over the whole nation and the number of affected people has been rising. In order to
protect the population, the government declared "lockdown" throughout the nation from 23
March to 30 May and prepared some necessary steps to spread awareness to keep this syndrome
away from them. Infections remained low until the end of March but saw a steep rise in April.
In April, new cases in Bangladesh grew by 1,155 percent, the highest in Asia, ahead of
Indonesia, with 186 percent. On 6 May, cases were confirmed in all districts. Bangladesh is the
second most affected country in South Asia after India. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected
educational systems worldwide, leading to the near-total closures of schools, universities and
colleges. Most governments around the world have temporarily closed educational institutions
in an attempt to contain the spread of COVID-19. Bangladesh has approximately 200,000
educational institutions across the country and over 40 million students. Bangladesh closed all
of its educational institutions in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The government
announced all schools would be closed for the remainder of March. Dhaka University began
online classes in July 2020 as have many other universities and schools. Experts and students
have voiced concerns about accessibility to online classes for many students in Bangladesh;
with poorer students, particularly in rural areas, lacking the devices and internet connectivity
to participate in their classes. Some education experts wanted all the educational institutions of
Bangladesh closed until November. Others wanted all the educational institutions in the
country to reopen by October. The education experts said that all of the educational institutions
in Bangladesh will reopen only either if the maximum growth rate of infections is 2% or if the
minimum doubling period of infections is 30 days. As of 27 July 2020, approximately 1.725
billion learners are currently affected due to school closures in response to the pandemic.
According to UNICEF monitoring, 106 countries are currently implementing nationwide
closures and 55 are implementing local closures, impacting about 98.6 percent of the world's
student population. 48 countries' schools are currently open. Millions of students are expected
to defer the start of their studies for their undergraduate degree to a later year due to the
pandemic.

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Scope of the Analysis
It was our great pleasure that during the time of preparing this report, we got cooperation to
discuss the impact of education sector of Bangladesh during this pandemic COVID19. So, the
scope of the report making was vast from my end. As students, we got every kind of facility to
study and work on it as well as got an extensive discussion with my team mate made it easier
for me to lead to an effective conclusion.
Objective of the Report
• There have some objectives of this report to gather an overall idea the effects of
education sector of this pandemic.
• To identify the difficulties the students are facing for this type of disease.
• To identify steps the government should take if this disease remain for a long while.
• To understand the practical scenario of network in our rural areas for which online
based tutoring is not the only way to continue.
• To identify the challenges and threats of the COVID 19 impact on our lives.
Methodology
This report cannot produce any quantitative estimate of the future as virus has not vanquished
yet in Bangladesh. Therefore it aims to deliver a comprehensive and indicative overview on
the observed and the possible impacts that could emerge in the coming days. The study is
designed on the basis of secondary information. The available information is limited and it is
difficult to find publications that only show how the coronavirus outbreak impacts the
education sector of Bangladesh. To have a better understanding, we collected the information
from materials published so far by different media outlets, think tanks, research agencies,
policy and newspapers. Besides this, the internet has been used as another source of
information. The main attempt of this study is to summarize the literature about pandemic and
its impact on education sector in Bangladesh.

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Limitations
 This pandemic is new so there are lack of previous research and studies on the topic of
COVID 19.
 We did not have enough time to go to the depth of this study.
 Because of having COVID-19 we couldn’t doing survey properly.
 We collect the information from several articles on internet thus we might not go to the
depth of this study.
 Issues with sample collection and selection, due to constraints of sample responsiveness,
the sample size is limited.
Covid-19 and Its’ Origin
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global
pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory
syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The outbreak was first identified in December 2019 in
Wuhan, China. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a Public Health
Emergency of International Concern on 30 January 2020 and a pandemic on 11 March. As of 21
August 2020, more than 22.8 million cases of COVID-19 have been reported in more than 188
countries and territories, resulting in more than 796,000 deaths; more than 14.5 million people
have recovered.

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Confirmed cases per 100,000 population as of 21 August
2020
>3,000
1,000 – 3,000
300 – 1,000
100 – 300
30 – 100
0 – 30
None or No

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The virus is spread primarily via nose and mouth secretions including small droplets produced
by coughing, sneezing, and talking. The droplets usually do not travel through air over long
distances. However, those standing in close proximity may inhale these droplets and become
infected. People may also become infected by touching a contaminated surface and then
touching their face. The transmission may also occur through smaller droplets that are able to
stay suspended in the air for longer periods of time in enclosed spaces. It is most contagious
Deaths per capita
Confirmed deaths per million population as of 17 August
2020
100+
10–100
1–10
0.1–1
0–0.1
None or no data

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during the first three days after the onset of symptoms, although spread is possible before
symptoms appear, and from people who do not show symptoms.
Common symptoms include fever, cough, fatigue, shortness of breath, and loss of sense of
smell. Complications may include pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome. The
time from exposure to onset of symptoms is typically around five days but may range from two
to fourteen days. There are several vaccine candidates in development, although none have
completed clinical trials to prove their safety and efficacy. There is no known specific antiviral
medication, so primary treatment is currently symptomatic.
Recommended preventive measures include hand washing, covering one's mouth when
coughing, maintaining distance from other people, wearing a face mask in public settings,
disinfecting surfaces, increasing ventilation and air filtration indoors, and monitoring and self
isolation for people who suspect they are infected. Authorities worldwide have responded by
implementing travel restrictions, lockdowns, workplace hazard controls, and facility closures
in order to slow the spread of the disease. Many places have also worked to increase testing
capacity and trace contacts of infected persons.
The pandemic has caused global social and economic disruption including the largest global
recession since the Great Depression. Up to 100 million people have fallen into extreme poverty
and global famines are affecting 265 million people It has led to the postponement or
cancellation of sporting, religious, political, and cultural events widespread supply shortages
exacerbated by panic buying, and decreased emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases.
Schools, universities, and colleges have been closed either on a nationwide or local basis in 161
countries, affecting approximately 98.6 percent of the world's student population.
Misinformation about the virus has circulated through social media and mass media. There
have been incidents of xenophobia and discrimination against Chinese people and against those
perceived as being Chinese or as being from areas with high infection rates.
COVID-19 is a new disease, and many of the details of its spread are still under investigation.
It spreads easily between people—more easily than influenza but not as easily as measles.
People are most infectious when they show symptoms even mild or non-specific symptoms,
but may be infectious for up to two days before symptoms appear. They remain infectious for
an estimated seven to twelve days in moderate cases and an average of two weeks in severe
cases. People can also transmit the virus without showing any symptom), but it is unclear how
often this happens. A June, 2020 review found that 40–45% of infected people are
asymptomatic.
COVID-19 spreads primarily when people are in close contact and one person inhales small
droplets produced by an infected person (symptomatic or not) coughing, sneezing, talking, or
singing. The WHO recommends 1 metre of social distance; the US Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) recommends 2 metres.
Transmission may also occur through aerosols, smaller droplets that are able to stay suspended
in the air for longer periods of time. Experimental results show the virus can survive in aerosol

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for up to three hours. Some outbreaks have also been reported in crowded and inadequately
ventilated indoor locations where infected persons spend long periods of time (such as
restaurants and nightclubs). Aerosol transmission in such locations has not been ruled out.
Some medical procedures performed on COVID-19 patients in health facilities can generate
those smaller droplets, and result in the virus being transmitted more easily than normal. Less
commonly, when the contaminated droplets fall to floors or surfaces they can remain infectious
if people touch contaminated surfaces and then their eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
On surfaces the amount of viable active virus decreases over time until it can no longer cause
infection, and surfaces are thought not to be the main way the virus spreads.
There are several theories about when and where the very first case (the so-called patient zero)
originated. According to an unpublicized report from the Chinese government, the first case can be
traced back to 17 November 2019; the person was a 55-year-old citizen in the Hubei province. There
were four men and five women reported to be infected in November, but none of them were "patient
zero." Starting from December, the number of coronavirus cases in Hubei gradually increased, reaching
60 by 20 December and at least 266 by 31 December.
According to official Chinese sources, these early cases were mostly linked to the Wuhan
Seafood Wholesale Market, which also sold live animals. However, in May 2020, George Gao,
the director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said animal
samples collected from the seafood market had tested negative for the virus, indicating the
market was not the source of the initial outbreak.
 On 24 December, Wuhan Central Hospital sent a Bronchoalveolar Lavage fluid (BAL)
sample from an unresolved clinical case to sequencing company Vision Medicals. On 27
and 28 December, Vision Medicals informed the Wuhan Central Hospital and the Chinese
 CDC of the results of the test, showing a new coronavirus. A pneumonia cluster of unknown
cause was observed on 26 December and treated by the doctor Zhang Jixian in Hubei
Provincial Hospital, who informed the Wuhan Jianghan CDC on 27 December.
 On 30 December 2019, a test report addressed to Wuhan Central Hospital, from company
Capital Bio Medlab, stated that there was an erroneous positive result for SARS, causing a
group of doctors at Wuhan Central Hospital to alert their colleagues and relevant hospital
authorities of the result. Eight of those doctors, including Li Wenliang (who was also
punished on 3 January), were later admonished by the police for spreading false rumours;
and another doctor, Ai Fen, was reprimanded by her superiors for raising the alarm. That
evening, the Wuhan Municipal Health Commission issued a notice to various medical
institutions about "the treatment of pneumonia of unknown because The next day, the
Wuhan Municipal Health Commission made the first public announcement of a pneumonia
outbreak of unknown cause, confirming 27 cases enough to trigger an investigation.
 During the early stages of the outbreak, the number of cases doubled approximately every
seven and a half days. In early and mid-January 2020, the virus spread to other Chinese
provinces, helped by the Chinese New Year migration and Wuhan being a transport hub
and major rail interchange. On 20 January, China reported nearly 140 new cases in one day,
including two people in Beijing and one in Shenzhen. A retrospective official study

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published in March found that 6,174 people had already developed symptoms by 20
January (most of them would be diagnosed later) and more may have been infected. A
report in The Lancet on 24 January indicated human transmission, strongly recommended
personal protective equipment for health workers, and said testing for the virus was
essential due to its "Pandemic Potential". On 30 January, the WHO declared the
coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern.
• On 31 January 2020, Italy had its first confirmed cases, two tourists from China. As of 13
March 2020, the WHO considered Europe the active centre of the pandemic. On 19 March
2020, Italy overtook China as the country with the most reported deaths. By 26 March, the
United States had overtaken China and Italy with the highest number of confirmed cases in
the world. Research on coronavirus genomes indicates the majority of COVID-19 cases in
New York came from European travellers, rather than directly from China or any other
Asian country. Retesting of prior samples found a person in France who had the virus on
27 December 2019 and a person in the United States who died from the disease on 6
February 2020.
• On 11 June 2020, after 55 days without a locally transmitted case being officially reported,
the city of Beijing reported a single COVID-19 case, followed by two more cases on 12
June. As for 15 June 79 cases were officially confirmed. Most of these patients went to
Xinfadi Wholesale Market.
• On 29 June 2020, WHO warned that the spread of the virus is still accelerating as countries
reopen their economies, although many countries have made progress in slowing down the
spread.
• On 15 July 2020, one COVID-19 case was officially reported in Dalian in more than three
months. The patient did not travel outside the city in the 14 days before developing
symptoms, nor did he have contact with people from "areas of attention."
As of 21 August 2020, more than 22.8 million cases have been reported worldwide, more than
796,000 people have died and more than 14.5 million have recovered.

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Education System in Bangladesh
Education in Bangladesh is overseen by the Bangladesh's Ministry of Education. Ministry of
Primary and Mass Education are responsible for implementing policy for primary education
and state-funded schools at a local level. In Bangladesh, all citizens must undertake twelve
years of compulsory education which consists of eight years at primary school level and four
years at high school level. Primary and secondary education is financed by the state and free of
charge in public schools.
Bangladesh conforms fully to the UN's Education For all (EFA) objectives and the Millennium
Development Goals (MDG) as well as other education-related international declarations.
Article 17 of the Bangladesh Constitution provides that all children receive free and
compulsory education.
The main education system is divided into three levels:
• Primary Level (Class 1–8).
• Secondary Level (9-12) there is no middle school system in Bangladesh.
• Tertiary Level.
At all levels of schooling, students can choose to receive their education in English or Bangla.
Private schools tend to make use of English-based study media while government-sponsored
schools use Bangla.
Cadet Colleges are important in the education system of Bangladesh. A cadet college is a room
and board collegiate administered by the Bangladesh Military. Discipline is compulsory at all
cadet colleges. Faujdarhat Cadet College is the first cadet college in Bangladesh, established
in 1958 over an area of 185 acres (0.75 km 2) at Faujdarhat in the district of Chittagong. At
present there are 12 cadet colleges in Bangladesh, including 3 cadet colleges for girls. As of
September 2019, tertiary education in Bangladesh takes place at 44 government, 101 private
and 3 international universities. Students can choose to further their studies in Chartered
Accountancy, engineering, technology, agriculture and medicine at a variety of universities and
colleges.
Primary education the overall responsibility of management of primary education lies with the
Ministry of Primary and Mass Education (MOPME), set up as a Ministry in 1992. While
MOPME is involved in formulation of policies, the responsibility of implementation rests with
the Directorate of Primary Education (DPE) headed by a Director General. The Directorate of
Primary Education (DPE) and its subordinate offices in the district and upazila are solely
responsible for management and supervision of primary education. Their responsibilities
include recruitment, posting, and transfer of teachers and other staff; arranging in-service
training of teachers; distribution of free textbooks; and supervision of schools. The
responsibility of school construction, repair and supply of school furniture lies with the DPE
executed through the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED). The National
Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) is responsible for the development of curriculum and
production of textbooks. While the Ministry of Education (MOE) is responsible for formulation
of policies, the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) under the Ministry of

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Education is responsible for implementing the same at secondary and higher education levels.
The NCTB is responsible for developing curriculum and publishing standard textbooks. The
Directorate of Primary Education (DPE) are responsible for conducting the two public
examinations:
• Primary Education Certificate (PEC) (5 grade).
• Junior School Certificate (JSC) (8th grade).
• Eight region-based Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) are
responsible for conducting the two public examinations:
• Secondary School Certificate (SSC) (10th grade).
• Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSC) (12th grade).
At the school level, in the case of non-government secondary schools, School Management
Committees (SMC), and at the intermediate college level, in the case of non-government
colleges, Governing Bodies (GB), formed as per government directives, are responsible for
mobilizing resources, approving budgets, controlling expenditures, and appointing and
disciplining staff. While teachers of non-government secondary schools are recruited by
concerned SMCs observing relevant government rules, teachers of government secondary
schools are recruited centrally by the DSHE through a competitive examination.
In government secondary schools, there is not an SMC. The headmaster is solely responsible
for running the school and is supervised by the deputy director of the respective zone. Parent
Teachers Associations (PTAs), however, exist to ensure a better teaching and learning
environment.
Tertiary education
At the tertiary level, universities are regulated by the University Grants Commission. The
colleges providing tertiary education are under the National University. Each of the medical
colleges is affiliated with a public university. Universities in Bangladesh are autonomous
bodies administered by statutory bodies such as Syndicate, Senate, Academic Council, etc. in
accordance with provisions laid down in their respective acts.
Technical and vocational education
The Technical and Vocational Education System provides courses related to various applied
and practical areas of science, technology and engineering, or focuses on a specific specialized
area. Course duration ranges from one month to four years. The Technical Education Board
controls technical and vocational training in the secondary level.
The Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) is responsible for the planning, development,
and implementation of technical and vocational education in the country. Curriculum is
implemented by BTEB. In the Technical Education System, after obtaining a Diploma-in
Engineering degree (four-year curriculum) from the institutes listed below, students can further
pursue their educational career by obtaining a bachelor's degree from Engineering &
Technology Universities. It normally it takes an additional two and a half to three years of
coursework to obtain a bachelor's degree, although some students take more than three years

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to do so. They can then enroll in post-graduate studies. Students can also study CA (Chartered
Accounting) after passing HSC or bachelor's degree and subject to fulfilling the entry criteria
of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh (ICAB).
Education System after COVID-19
In a matter of weeks, coronavirus (COVID-19) has changed how students are being educated
around the world. The education sector of Bangladesh is also experiencing a strange transition.
Those changes give us a glimpse at how education could change for the better – and the worse
– in the long term. With the coronavirus spreading rapidly across the globe, countries have
taken swift and decisive actions to mitigate the development of a full-blown pandemic. In the
past few months, there have been multiple announcements suspending attendance at schools
and universities. According to UNICEF, around 1.6 billion children are unable to attend school
in person due to COVID-19 and to maintain social distancing.
Never before have so many children been out of school at the same time in any scenario, Be it
Bangladesh or any other affected country. The risk-control decisions have led millions of
students into temporary 'home-schooling' or 'online-learning' situations, especially in some of
the most heavily impacted countries. These changes have certainly caused a degree of
inconvenience, but they have also prompted new examples of educational innovation. Although
it is too early to judge how reactions to COVID-19 will affect education systems, some signs
suggest that it could have a lasting impact on the trajectory of learning innovation and
digitization.
COVID-19 has become a catalyst for educational institutions worldwide to search for
innovative solutions in a relatively short period. To help to decrease the spread of the virus and
to flatten the curve, schools around the world, including Bangladesh, have adopted online
learning, on an untested and unprecedented scale. Students' assessments have also moved
online, with a lot of trial and error, while many assessments are being replaced with other
approaches. For example, many schools in Bangladesh are making assessments based on
students, previous test scores, assignments scores, and other procedures. If the pandemic
continues for a long time, then the schools will adopt different innovative approaches for
student assessments.
Besides the challenges of student assessments, there are several other challenges that schools,
parents, and students of Bangladesh might have been facing due to online learning transition.
The most significant loss that learning and development professionals experience with this
abrupt stop of face-to-face learning delivery is the positive impact that a classroom
environment can have. Particularly in terms of fostering connection and collaboration between
learners is a valid concern. In-person social interaction has a richness that might feel hard to
replicate in the digital world – but it is not impossible.

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The solution is to incorporate the positive lessons from face-to-face into our digital strategy
and to create online, active blended learning. A combination of both interactive classes and
pre-recorded classes can be an effective strategy to continue the engagement of the students
and to replicate face-to-face lessons into the digital world. Schools around the globe, including
Bangladesh, are trying to incorporate these effective strategies through Google Classroom and
Google Meet. The adaptation of interactive classes and pre-recorded classes varies from Grade
to Grade. Some Grades are using both of these approaches together, while others are only using
one.
Navigating through Google Classroom and Google Meet will not be a problem for secondary
or advanced students. However, it will be an issue for younger students, and that is where the
next challenge of online learning arises. Parents need to support the children to navigate the
technology. For many parents, the sudden leap into online learning brought upon by the
COVID-19 pandemic may be an additional challenge presented during an already stressful
time.
Moreover, not all parents are tech-savvy, so they first need to learn different ways to navigate
the technology themselves before helping their children. Thankfully, most schools around
Bangladesh are providing guidelines to parents, and teachers are helping the parents to navigate
the websites properly.
On top of it, language can also work as a barrier, especially in Bangladesh. Schools around the
country cater to diverse groups of students and parents. As English is not the first language and
most of the platforms that are being used to conduct classes are in English, the language barrier
can work as a challenge, especially for the parents who are not well versed in English.
Regarding this, the schools and the teachers are trying their best to offer simple guidelines and
helping the parents and the students to navigate the platforms seamlessly.
Apart from these, there is more to schools than attending various lessons. There are
extracurricular activities, sports, games, art and craft, fun, and, most importantly, interacting
with friends and peers. Schools like DPS STS School Dhaka are encouraging extra-curricular
activities through online learning. Sports coaches and teachers from dance, art, and music
classes are uploading videos for the students. The students can practice playing instruments,
singing, painting, art and craft, and various sports from their homes.
On top of it, schools are also sending crossword puzzles and fun challenges to help keep up the
continuous growth in critical thinking of the students. Students are encouraged to upload videos
of their activities, such as craft. These approaches have the power to motivate the children to
continue learning various things and not being lazy during the pandemic. Moreover, these
activities will keep the children's minds diverted to more productive things than the crisis that
is going around them.

17
Furthermore, the teachers are always conducting video conferencing with each other and trying
to find various ways to conduct classes in innovative ways. All Grade teachers are trying to
come up with new ideas to make the lessons enjoyable, like showing children the video of
Sesame Street regarding COVID-19. Young children do not understand the concept of
COVID19 and the current situation.
There are still many schools in Bangladesh that have not adapted to distance learning due to a
lack of penetration in the technology sector. However, it is high time for every school around
the country to adjust to distance learning as no one knows when the pandemic will end. Schools
that have already adapted to distancing learning have realized the advantages of this approach.
And maybe once the pandemic ends, they will continue to use this approach but only as an
additional tool – especially for children who will be unable to attend the school due to sickness
or other reasons

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Continuing Classes during Pandemic
The Covid-19 outbreak has disrupted the academic year, cancelled classes and examinations of
students across the globe. Thus the educational institutions moved classes online encouraging
students to attend lectures via electronic devises. This has also sparked a debate on whether the
increased amount of screen time helps students learn or if it impedes their progress.
Children are habituated to screens like television, mobile or computer long before the
pandemic. Some have been using the screen for a long time in a day. Eye experts say, looking
at the screen for long periods of time can be harmful and that doesn't seem to be a healthy way
of learning. In addition to the impact on their health, online learning from home is a kind of
isolation and a lonely experience for the child. They don't have their peers around them and
they need to learn themselves without any consultation. Even the teachers' role has becomes
limited. Children do not get any direct supervision that they would get in a classroom. Parents
are also busy with their own work for which they get a very little time to supervise the online
learning exercise of their children. Again disparities are very high among the students: those
who have access to online facilities and those who do not have. Some are actually missing their
lessons. Though some families may have access to digital technology, there might not be
enough devices for the personal use of all the family members. The parents may be working
from home and need to use their computers. So each household needs to have several devises
so that they can allocate devises among all of the family members for accessing virtual
platform. Multiple issues of online learning are now a big concern.
Finally, students and their study should not be overlooked during the pandemic even for a single
day. Who knows when normalcy will come back? Educationist from their experiences say, if
someone is made to discontinue or is out of study for a while, it causes irreparable damage to
the students' study program.
Compliance with the Right to Education during COVID-19
The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) requires that
the functional educational programs be available, their forms and substances be physically as
well as economically accessible, acceptable and adaptable to the changing needs of
communities and societies (see, here). The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)
requires that education be child-centred, mindful of the ‘best interest of the child’ principle
(see, here). The obligation of making education economically accessible implies different
things across different levels: whereas for the primary level, education shall be free for all, the
obligation to introduce free secondary and higher education is progressive in nature. However,
in all the cases, economic accessibility implies affordability for all.
Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Committee on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights has urged States to continue with online learning programs in order to mitigate
the impact of the closures on the right to education. Moreover, the Committee also reminded

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the States of their obligation to take measures to expedite affordable internet services and vital
technical equipment for all students particularly those in poorer communities and regions, so
that the targeted group can benefit equally from online learning programs. The remote
education policy opted for by Bangladesh has not coincided with adequate measures to expedite
affordable and threshold internet services across the country.
Additionally, the ICESCR and the CRC provide protection from discrimination in terms of the
application of its provisions, both direct and indirect (the CRC calls them overt and hidden
forms of discrimination). Bangladesh’s remote education policy may seem to be objective or
neutral at face value, touching the lives of all the children across the country. But as noted
above, in its application it is disadvantageous to a large number of children who live outside
the capital, who belong to marginalised classes or are poor. This inevitably results in
substantive inequality in the education sector. This may amount to indirect discrimination on
the basis of property or in turn socio-economic status, which is a prohibited ground of
discrimination under the ICESCR as well as the CRC.
Domestic Enforcement of the Right to Education in Bangladesh
The ICESCR and CRC are ratified by Bangladesh and there is no reservation from Bangladesh
concerning the provisions on education in either instrument. However, as a dualist country, in
absence of implementing legislation, the international obligations are circumscribed within the
narrow limits of the domestic legal frameworks.
The Bangladesh Constitution does not envisage education as a right but as a principle. Such a
principle, as per the Constitution, is not judicially enforceable. The judicial unenforceability
makes the realisation of the right to education subservient to the will of the executive. This
enforcement bar is not peculiar to the right to education and it exists with regard to all
economic, social and cultural (ESC) rights. Despite the constitutional bar, the judiciary has
crafted a way to enforce such rights indirectly: one through the expansion of ‘right to life’ and
another through their negative enforcement. In relation to the latter, the judiciary has implied
that it cannot interfere when the State fails to perform its positive obligations (of providing the
means for realising such rights) but can do so when the State violates its negative obligations
(that is, where the State does something which negatives or interrupts the exercise of such
rights) (see, here and here). However, in enforcing the right to education, the indirect ESC
rights-enforcement routes have not shown any tangible prospect of success- probably because
there has always been a lack of clarity as to how an argument establishing interruption in the
exercise of right to education could be formulated. At a theoretical level, the judicial
approaches for indirect enforcement may perpetuate a division between the positive and
negative aspects of obligations concerning the ESC rights, and make the aspects somewhat
disjunctive. The current situation proves how inadequate the rights-enforcement framework
was inasmuch as it masked the realities of progress underneath the concepts of ‘indirect
enforcement’ and ‘progressive realisation’.

20
Online Education and the Challenges
Online education is very much vogue, but learning online can undermine traditional skills such
as the ability to concentrate on one issue rather than multitask. It can lead to more alienated,
less connected individuals and it can undermine teaching too. While online learning has
benefits, we should not overlook the advantages of small interactive classes. On potentially
positive result of the current fascination with online education is that universities may be forced
to define and defend quality education.
This analysis of what we value should help us present to the public the importance of higher
education in a high-tech world. However, the worst thing to do is to equate university education
with its worst forms of instruction, which will in turn open the door for distance learning.
Perhaps the most destructive aspect of higher education is the use of large lecture classes. Not
only does this type of learning environment lead to focus on students memorizing information
for multiple choice tests, but it also undermines any real distinction between in-person and
online education In a small class, it is much harder for students to be invisible and to multitask.
While some may say that it is not the role of university educators to socialize these young
adults. It is clear that the current generation of students does need some type of guidance in
how they use technology and participate in their own education.
When people multitask, it often takes them twice as long to complete a task and they do it half
as well. When the students try to write a paper they are constantly text messaging and surfing
the web: the result is that they spend hours writing their essays, and their writing is often
disjointed and lacking in coherence. Since they are not focused on a single task, they do not
notice that the ideas and sentences in their essays do not flow or cohere. Literally and
figuratively, these multitasking students are only partially present when they are writing and
thinking. This lack of presence also shows up in the classroom. Students often act as if they are
invisible in small classes because in their large lecture classes they are in many ways not
present. Many students seem to lack any awareness of how they appear to others, and they are
so used to sleeping in their large classes that they do not think about how their present absence
appears to other students in a smaller class.
And of course, it is much more difficult for students to be either literally and figuratively absent
in a small class, but some students have been socialized by their large lecture classes to ignore
the different expectations of more intimate learning environments. As many higher education
teachers have experienced, some students are able to participate in online discussion forums,

21
but have a hard time speaking in their small seminars. Once again, students may find it difficult
being present in front of others and taking the risk of presenting their own ideas in the presence
of others. Some distance educators argue that we can resolve this problem just moving classes
online.
When students have to be in a class and listen to their teacher and fellow learners, they are
forced to turn off their cell phones to focus on a shared experience without the constant need
to check their Facebook pages or latest texts. In fact, students tell that they would hate to take
their class online because they already feel addicted to their technologies. From their
perspective moving required classes online is like giving free crack to addicts and telling them
that it will be good for them. In order to help students understand their dependence on
technology and their alienation from nature and their own selves they can be brought outside
to say that they cannot do anything. This existence often makes students very anxious, and
when the students are asked about experience, they write that they are not used to just doing
nothing, and they feel an intensive need to reach for their phones: this dependence on
communication technologies will only be enhanced by moving to distance education. Online
education then not only adds to our culture of distracted multitasking but it also often functions
to undermine the value of university professors. The online universities have also separated
teaching from research and have basically 'unbundled' the traditional role of the faculty
member. Like the undermining of newspapers by new media, we now have more sources of
information, but fewer people being paid to do the actual ground work of researching and
reporting.
So being present at the university means that students and teachers are present in their classes
and that education is the central presence of the institution. There is really no replacement for
face-to-face interaction between academics and students. Digital and online methods can enrich
those interactions, but it seems unlikely they can replace them in anything. Access to online
may suffice for some, but for the foreseeable future, the physical and synchronous experience
of the campus will be an irreplaceable one an experience supplemented but not replaced by
online. However we know stopping online classes is not the solution. Instead, we need to work
on providing technology to these students including disadvantaged children so that
inclusiveness can be ensured. How we can make use of technology to help children continue
with their studies and, for that purpose, provide them with smartphones and electronic tablets
should be at a subject of high priority policy-level discussion.

22
Annex: Primary Data Findings on Education
School Going Children In Household
Administrative
Region
Have
Don’t Have
Not Applicable Not Answered
City Corporation 53.68% 33.82% 11.76% 0.74%
Paurashava 58.99% 33.71% 6.18% 1.12%
Rural area 62.20% 29.90% 5.84% 2.06%
Grand total 59.34% 31.90% 7.27% 1.49%
Home-based remote education (television, online, radio, mobile) and
participation of Children
Administrative
Region Don’t
know
No Yes, but children
are not attending
Yes, my
children are
attending the
class
Not
answered
City
Corporation
13.97% 37.50% 24.26% 14.71% 9.56%
Paurashava 13.48% 47.75% 14.61% 16.29% 7.87%
Rural area 20.62% 40.21% 19.93% 13.06% 6.19%
Grand total 17.02% 41.82% 19.35% 14.38% 7.44%

23
Supports from the parents for learning at home
Administrative Region No Not applicable Yes Not Answered
City Corporation 24% 27% 40% 9%
Paurashava 31% 22% 38% 8%
Rural area 37% 18% 36% 8%
Grand total 33% 21% 38% 8%
Private Arrangement To Assist Children
In These School Closer Days
Administrative Region No Not
applicable
Yes Not Answered
City Corporation 58% 24% 10% 10%
Paurashava 64% 20% 8% 7%
Rural area 67% 18% 7% 8%
Grand total 64% 20% 8% 8%

24

25
Survey Measures the Expected Impacts of COVID-19
Across Education Sectors
Here are the highlights:
• A global survey reveals that education executives differ in their sense of how COVID-19
will affect their business in the long term depending on what sector they work in and what
region they come from
• Across the survey sample, there was wide recognition that online technology has never
been more important, as millions of students rely on online learning platforms and services
during lockdowns across the world
• Following from this, those respondents who are most confident about the future are those
working in the education technology sector.
• A broad survey of education executives conducted in March shows that concern is
widespread that COVID-19 and its societal and economic effects will be damaging in the
short term, but that many believe their organisations and institutions will recover in the
long term and/or even be better off than before the outbreak took hold.
The survey is part of a broader research effort conducted twice annually with HolonIQ’s Global
Executive Panel, which is composed of more than 2,000 ministers, presidents, vice chancellors,
CEOs, senior executives, and investors. The panel represents both private and public
institutions in all levels of education, from pre-school all the way to lifelong learning.
Recommendation
The concerned ministry, Ministry of Health failed significantly in communicating the people;
they could not understand the public demand and they failed to tell the people what measures
have been taken by the government. Ministry of information is also responsible partly for not
sharing the measures taken by the government. This increased a vacuum and facilitated the
rumor spreaders on social media. This research therefore suggests few policy
prescriptions for fighting COVID-19.
Firstly, the government's policy should be communicated by the honorable Prime Minister
directly to the media.
Secondly, the government urgently should form a scientific advisory board headed
by a scientist and including specially scientists, academics, doctors and researchers. This body
will be accountable only to the Prime Minister. The government’s national committee will take
decision based on the recommendations of the said group.

26
Thirdly, more tests need to be confirmed every day. Through rigorous testing countrywide, we
will know who to treat and who to keep isolated and quarantined. Lack of testing will lead us
to a catastrophic situation. In addition, the special hospitals made ready for the patients should
be equipped with at least 1000 Ventilators. If it’s difficult to purchase, the government can
bring ventilator on ‘loan’.
Fourthly, Bangladesh has declared a bailout plan of more than 72 thousand crore taka but
these packages did not tell us how the low-income people or poor people and the farmers will
be facilitated. This research suggests a separate bailout policy for the farmers should be
implemented as no interest policy.
Fifthly, the hospitals should work in collaboration. It has been reported that many private
hospitals have limited services for general people which has increased the health concern
other than COVID 19. Each big hospital should be kept open with proper protection for the
frontline doctors and nurses, and the treatment must be continued. In addition, more hospitals
should have well-equipped zone with ventilators for proper isolation in the critical period.
Apart from specialized hospitals in Dhaka, at least each division should have one specialized
hospital.
Sixthly, the low-income people should be taken care of with utmost importance. The people
who do not have fixed income will be vulnerable in lockdown situation. So, both public and
private sectors should come forward in assisting them with aid.
Seventhly, the Garment factories should be kept closed at least for more than a month. The
present lock down should continue till the end of April. This will facilitate social distancing
and will reduce the chances of getting infected. Local and community transmission will be
reduced through this measure.
Finally, the government should repeatedly urge for cooperation from all sects of people in
fighting COVID-19. It is not the sole job of the government to fight this war. Social awareness
campaign should be continued through the print, electronic and social media. A key tool to
combat Covid-19 social distancing should be made more popular among people.

27
Conclusions
Preparedness is the key to addressing any health crisis, and so far, Bangladesh, as a lower-
middle-income country, has numerous limitations in restricting the spread of the virus. While
continuing the lockdown at any cost with more strict maintenance, the country has to expand
its testing and healthcare facilities. It has to ensure a constant supply of PPE for healthcare
workers. Above all, improvised and timely measures taken with proper coordination may help
the country to fight the lethal virus. The Government will not be able to mitigate the situation
alone individual efforts from the citizens, direct involvement of the nation's public health
experts, and international help are urgently needed. As the situation intensifies, the world is
closely watching how Bangladesh will navigate this crisis. The fears of pandemic, for one-third
of students across the country, the looming threat is that they may never return to schools owing
mostly to the lack of an integrated plan on the part of the Government. This may, in turn,
implicate other human rights: the country has for a long time been dealing with child marriage
and child labor, against which education was rightly thought to be a roadblock. However, if the
current situation is not tackled, the country may see a surge in the number of child marriages
and the number of children involved in labor. The current measures taken by Bangladesh are
not in compliance with the country’s international obligations relating to the right to education.
Moreover, the vulnerabilities of the coronavirus-specific measures in the education sector show
how grossly inadequate the general rights-enforcement and budgetary frameworks have been.
The current crisis unearths how a doubtful national and international commitment towards
human rights over a substantial period of time, can account for a devastating impact.
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