Flowers and balloons welcome students back to schools, colleges

Schoolyards buzzed again with joyous students as they made their return to the once empty corridors of educational institutions.

Alongside the pupils, teachers and staffers also wore happy faces as schools around the country brimmed with festivity.

This was all for celebrating the resumption of regular classes in schools and colleges on Sunday. 

The picture of academic normalcy was consistent in almost all the areas of Bangladesh, including remote upazilas. 

Classrooms and yards of educational institutions in Khulna were decorated with coloured paper, garlands, balloons and paper flowers. Many students came to school early.

Teachers and staff allowed their entry to school and college compounds after ensuring proper sanitisation. 

Khulna District Education Officer Khandaker Ruhul Amin said all government and private schools, colleges and madrasas in Khulna district reopened following the directives of the education ministry. 

The festivity was an ever-present fixture in Barishal.

Rahim, a tenth-grade student of Barishal Government School, said, "I was eagerly waiting for this day when I will get to meet my teachers and friends. It feels like a new life."

After the long closure, thousands of students were seen happily flocking the premises of more than 600 primary schools, 500 secondary schools, 24 colleges and 36 madrassas in Cox's Bazar. 

In some of the institutions, teachers welcomed the students with flowers.

Many educational institutions decorated the classrooms and prepared everything needed in advance to conduct in-person studies maintaining Covid-19 health guidelines.

Cox's Bazar District Commissioner Md Mamunur Rashid said, "Upazila administrative officials have been instructed to monitor all educational institutions in the district while we ourselves are keeping tab of the schools in the city. Moreover, authorities have been asked to conduct awareness-building programs in advance."

School authorities across the Brahmanbaria district took adequate measures to ensure proper safety for students returning to classes. 

The schools have been provided with thermometers, sanitising and handwashing equipment and isolation rooms for the students.

Visiting Annada Government High School in Brahmanbaria city, students were observed to be sitting in the "X" pattern in classes. No class allowed more than 26 students.

All the students of the primary level were provided with chocolates and balloons in Cumilla. Schools and colleges within the urban areas had over 90% of students' attendance. 

Roxana Ferdous Majumder, the headmistress of Cumilla Nawab Faizunnesa Government Girls School, said, "95% of our students have attended classes. It was more than expected." 

In Dinajpur, 2,960 educational institutions have opened in compliance with the health rules including private kindergartens and government institutions.

Visiting the Ashalipi Residential Model School located in the Kishanbazar area of Sadar, it was seen that classes were being taken there as per the instructions of the health department.

"The school has reopened after a long year and a half. The children are entering the school with a lot of joy and excitement. Parents are being informed if children do not follow the hygiene rules. Adherence to hygiene rules will lessen the effect of Covid-19 to a great extent," said Deben Chandra Roy, the headmaster of the school.

The glimmer of joy was evident in the eyes of mask-clad students and teachers of some 1,049 educational institutions in Sylhet.

The authorities, meanwhile, were seen busy implementing the standard operating procedures (SOPs) instructed by the government to ensure students' safety so that their festive return does not get spoiled. This move was replicated nationwide to keep the morale of all students and parents high.