The dilemmas of students

No new updates regarding the upcoming HSC exams have surfaced yet. "After a lot of waiting, I was happy that we would be sitting for the exams," shared Borsha.

After nearly two years of online classes, academic institutions began to reopen as vaccines were rolled out. However, considering the recent breakout of the Covid variant Omicron, the country has been pushed into restrictions again.

 While online classes have become an accepted alternative, academic institutions are now opting towards physical classes. However, the future is filled with dilemmas.

Lion Chandra Barman, a sixth grader at Madhupur Kakoli High School, did online classes for over a year. "In my village, it is very difficult for me to access the equipment and internet facilities. I somehow managed to do so, but I was finally able to get off the hook when my school reopened physically," he shares.

Lion was also happy to meet his friends and teachers in-person, and enjoy his expected learning environment. He finds studying online quite isolating.

No new updates regarding the upcoming HSC exams have surfaced yet. "After a lot of waiting, I was happy that we would be sitting for the exams. Here in the village, girls are forced into early marriages and I am afraid I have to live the same fate if I fail to continue my education in a regular manner," shared Borsha Rani Roy, an HSC candidate from Ruhea Technical and Business Management College.

Siam Sharif Bhuiyan, a student at New Model University College sat for his HSC exams, and had started preparing for university admission tests.

Now, he feels that he will have to stop going to admission coaching classes and the admission tests may get delayed. The results might not come out on the promised dates, which will disqualify his applications to private universities.

Public university and college students might not be able to complete their desired academic programmes within the usual time.

"Switching to online classes and exams already took away a lot of time from our active career years," said Nazifa Raisa, a third-year undergraduate student at Eden Women's College. "We have to start our careers and support our families. I doubt that the age limit for jobs and retirement ages at government and private organisations will be altered, following the number of years the students have lost during the pandemic."

The author is a freelance journalist.