Published in: The Daily Star

Date: 9 May 2020

One and a half months into the closure of in-person classes due to the coronavirus outbreak, the majority of schools, colleges and universities across the country have yet to introduce online education.

Some schools and colleges in the capital and other big cities have started to take online classes to minimise the academic loss due to the shutdown.

But the majority of schools located outside these cities are yet to have initiated virtual learning, according to officials of Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE).

The University Grants Commission (UGC) officials say 63 out of 151 public and private universities have been taking online classes.

A lack of infrastructure and uneven access to internet and devices such as a desktop computer, laptop, or smartphone for the students are the vital obstacles to introducing virtual learning.

“Online education could be a good alternative to in-person classes during a crisis,” Dhaka University Professor Emeritus Serajul Islam Choudhury said.

“The corona crisis exposed the fact that nobody has taken education seriously. The majority of schools, colleges and universities are not equipped to take online classes. Most students do not have the devices and internet access,” he added.

Professor M Kaykobad of computer science and engineering department at Buet said there are some challenges but still it is possible to introduce online classes, especially when many use smartphones nowadays.

Mahbub Hossain, secondary and higher education secretary, said infrastructures and financial condition of educational institutions and students’ access to device and internet are some major issues for online education.

“Some educational institutions have come forward to introduce online learning. We are also looking for options besides providing education through television to keep students engaged.”

He added, “We cannot solve the problem overnight.”

Some four crore students are now out of in-person classes as all the educational institutions have been closed since March 17.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on April 27 said the institutions would remain closed until September if the coronavirus situation does not improve.

Contacted, the authorities of renowned schools like Viqarunnisa Noon School and College, Ideal School and College, Mothijheel, Willes Little Flower Schools, Kakoli High School and others said they have started online classes using Facebook live, messenger, Zoom and other tools. Classes are also uploaded on YouTube.

GM Nizam Uddin, general secretary of Bangladesh School Medium School Association, said most of the English medium schools in the capital are taking online classes.

DSHE Secondary Director Belal Hossain could not say how many schools of the country are start online classes.

“Most of the schools of Dhaka and other big cities have introduced online classes but schools in rural areas are yet to introduce this virtual learning,” he said.

According to Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information and Statistics, 77 percent of the total 20,465 secondary schools are in rural areas.

Kishoreganj District Education Officer Zulfiqar Hossain said less than 20 out of 262 secondary schools in his district now take online classes.

“There is lack of skilled teachers in the district to start online classes. Besides, many students have problems relating to electricity, internet and devices,” he added.

COLLEGES
The majority of colleges that are providing higher secondary, graduation and post-graduation education are yet to have online education system.

Professor Shahedul Khabir Chowdhury, DSHE director (college and administration), said teachers of about 507 colleges are taking online classes, mostly for higher secondary students. Of the colleges, around 250 are government ones.

They cannot introduce online classes for graduation and post-graduation levels for several reasons. “There are some obstacles. Like many colleges do not have infrastructure and set up to take online education,” Shahedul said.

Another problem is the colleges are not getting sufficient manpower amid this shutdown, he added.

There are 4,495 colleges in the country and 673 of them are public colleges.

Most of the colleges under National University already plagued with session jams, and in the absence of classes, they might get caught in prolonged suffering, said academics.

Dhaka College Principal Prof Nehal Ahmed said whatever facilities and infrastructures they have are being used for online classes at HSC level.

“We have honours courses for 20 subjects and there are six batches of students. And teachers are now staying at different places. So unavailability of teachers is another crisis,” he said.

UNIVERSITIES
The education ministry and the University Grants Commission on April 30 asked all private and public universities to complete academic activities for the current semester through online classes.

The instruction came after a meeting among top officials of education ministry and UGC and vice chancellors of several public and private universities.

“At the meeting, we decided that all public and private universities must ensure online classes,” UGC Acting Secretary Ferdous Zaman said.

UGC sources said that only 63 universities out of 151 now have online classes. Of them, only two to three are public universities, and the rest are private.

“Many of them are holding name-only online classes,” said Ferdous.

Late April, the authorities of several public universities talking to this newspaper gave various reasons for not introducing online education — including a lack of facilities at the institutions and uneven internet access for all students, many of whom are now in their village homes.

The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics’ Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2019 found only 37.6 percent of households in the country has access to the internet by any device from home. It also found only 5.6 percent of households have a computer or tablet.

Telecom insiders said 30 percent of total cell phones in Bangladesh are smartphones. There are 10 crore SIM cards here — of these, around four crore are unique users.

Source:

https://www.thedailystar.net/frontpage/news/online-classes-amid-shutdown-distant-reality-still-many-1900918