Nishat Tasnim Nuha, a second-grade student at an English-medium school in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi area, may soon have to attend classes online three days a week under a government plan aimed at saving energy.
Her mother, Ruhi Alam, says the idea has left her worried.
“My older son is in class nine, so he can manage,” she said.
“But my daughter is too young. If neither I nor her father is at home, who will help her attend online classes?”
She added that even with two household helpers, they would not be able to assist with logging into devices or managing online lessons.
The discussion around online classes has emerged as part of broader efforts to save energy amid a fuel crisis linked to the ongoing war in the Middle East, with authorities considering a hybrid model of three days of in-person classes and three days online.
Although no formal announcement has been made, the prospect has already unsettled many working parents.
There are also concerns about families with lower incomes, many of whom may struggle to provide the necessary devices and internet access for their children.
Education experts warn that such a move could widen existing inequalities.
Similar challenges were seen during the coronavirus pandemic, when schools were closed and lessons shifted online.
At the time, children from wealthier families were more likely to attend regular classes, while those from disadvantaged backgrounds often fell behind or dropped out of learning altogether.
Access to reliable internet remains limited in many rural areas, and the additional cost of connectivity can be difficult for many households to bear.
Even in cities, lower-income families face similar barriers.
With offices expected to remain open, many working parents say it will be difficult to ensure their children can attend online classes during the day.
Education experts have raised concerns over proposals to shift to online classes, warning that such a move could deepen learning gaps and widen inequality.
BRAC University Professor Emeritus Manzoor Ahmed said past experience during the coronavirus pandemic showed that online teaching had not been effective.
“So moving back to online teaching is unlikely to produce good results,” he said.
He suggested that if the energy crisis forces schools and colleges to close, a temporary system of “distance learning” could be considered instead.
This, he said, could involve lessons delivered through email or websites, allowing students to complete tasks at their own pace.
Looking ahead, Professor Ahmed also recommended restructuring the curriculum to better prepare for similar disruptions in the future.
He said a full year’s lessons could be uploaded to a dedicated platform, enabling students to access materials online or download them when convenient.
For those without devices or internet access, he proposed creating separate groups and providing support through shared facilities or school multimedia classrooms.
He also stressed the need to invest in educational content, expand access to devices and connectivity, and improve teachers’ digital skills.
Dhaka University Institute of Education and Research Professor Mohammod Moninoor Roshid said decisions on online classes should be based on need rather than applied uniformly across the country.
“It would not be appropriate to take a centralised decision to run online classes nationwide,” he told TIMES of Bangladesh.
“Such measures could be limited to areas where transport restrictions are in place. These areas can be identified through targeted research.”
He noted that in many rural and semi-urban areas, students rely on walking or using rickshaws and vans to travel to school, meaning online classes would have little impact on fuel savings there.
“In addition, not everyone has access to laptops or smartphones, and internet connectivity is still limited in many areas,” he said.
“So there is no immediate need to introduce online classes in rural or outlying regions.”
Teachers and parents across different parts of the country have also expressed reservations.
Educators and guardians in Rangpur, Chattogram and Dhaka suggest that most oppose the idea of shifting to online classes.
Even in the capital, concerns remain about whether all students would be able to attend regularly.
Gendaria Mohila Samity Government Primary School Head Teacher Md Riaz Parvez questioned whether the necessary logistical support could be ensured.
“If the government takes such a decision, it must consider the logistics,” he said.
“But is that really feasible?”
In Gaibandha’s Palashbari upazila, kindergarten teacher Sujit Kumar pointed out that not all teachers themselves have access to smartphones.
“Many teachers still use basic phones,” he said.
“How will they take part in online classes?”
He added that low salaries in many private institutions make it difficult for teachers to afford digital devices.
Responding to the concerns, Directorate of Primary Education Director General Abu Noor Md Shamsuzzaman said lessons from past experience would be used to address weaknesses.
“We will try to overcome the shortcomings as quickly as possible,” he said.
He added that a decision on the issue is expected to be taken at a cabinet meeting on Thursday.
