Dropout problem in primary education has to be addressed

Md. Mostaque Hassan

The best means of human resource development is education without which a country's socio-economic development is not possible. But Bangladesh has deplorably lagged behind in this particular sector compared to other developed and developing countries the South Asian countries also.
   The compulsory primary education means: all the children aged 10 must complete their education up to the level of class V. It is a constitutional obligation for the country.
   Initiatives to promote Primary Education
   Considering the importance of Primary education, a number of conferences were held and many education commissions were formed for universalising of education' particularly for compulsory primary education. To fulfil the constitutional obligation the Government nationalised 36,165 primary schools and enacted compulsory primary education law in 1990. Moreover, Government created a separate Ministry (Primary and Mass Education Division-PMED) in 1992 and introduced Compulsory Primary Education Programme in 1992 and extended it throughout the country in 1993. Besides, the government has also been supporting in establishing non-government primary school, NGO-managed and other primary level institutions to such an extent that the number of primary level institutions now becomes more than 80,000.
   As the Government is committed to undertake structural reforms so it is expected to bring significant improvements in the education sector. With this end in view Bangladesh has been running one of the biggest primary education administrations in the world. More than 03 lakh 65 thousand teachers teach about 1 crore 64 lakhs students in the 81,434 primary schools of 10 categories. The total number of Government primary schools is 37,672 in which 182,000 teachers teach 93.5 lakh students.
   With technical and financial assistance from a consortium of 11 donors led by the Asian Development Bank, the government's Primary Education Development Programme (PEDP-II) aim at improving the quality of student and ensuring 'education for all' by 2015. in addition, the causes for dropout have to be identified for bringing it down to below 10 per cent by 2015.
   The World Bank suggests for the allocation of 4.0 per cent of national revenue for the improvement of primary education. The NGOs suggest for the allocation of 6.0 per cent of the revenue for the purpose. In reality, Bangladesh spends 2.4 per cent on primary education, the lowest in South Asia. Despite increase in funding for education, the expenditure per student is still low. Teachers are poorly trained and paid. Teaching methods and materials are generally sub-standard. Only a few teachers can teach English and mathematics.
   Teachers, the school management committees, the local administration and the NGOs have to work under an action plan to achieve the objective.
   The government should recruit subject-wise teachers, particularly for teaching English, mathematics and science. Guardians should monitor children's study at home. The advantageous sections of the community should play more responsible roles. The primary training institutes need improvement and modernisation to be able to better train the teachers to make teaching effective and attractive.
   Teachers should be required to complete the teaching in the class rooms so that the students are given no home work. All officers under primary education division need to be strictly evaluated with punishment for negligence of duty.
   Schools must organise sports, games, debate competition and other co-curricular and recreational activities.
   Students should be fed at lunch time at school.
   Non-solvent guardians could be encouraged to send their kids to school.
   The number of stipends should be increased to 75 per cent for rural schools under relaxed conditions. Urban primary schools should be brought under the stipend programme.
   Education is called the backbone of the nation because without education no nation can prosper. There is a huge drop out (more than 52 per cent) among enrolled students especially in primary school. In order to make the compulsory free primary education programme successful, the nation has to solve the problems that cause dropout. Otherwise, the initiatives of the Government in advancing primary education will not produce the desired result.
   The writer is a senior programme officer (deputy secretary), Higher Education Quality Enhancement Project, Ministry of Education.

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Pakistan facing critical situation everyday

Jonaid Iqbal

Interior Minister Rehman Malik says Pakistan faces a 9/11-like situation everyday as a price for its support to the world community, it has not received in return a match for Pakistan's commitment, contribution and role in the war on terror.
   One can see why he said this because in the opinion of analyst Dr. Hasan Askari Rizvi, the Taliban have been able to regroup and feel confident to take on the cities. Thus we find Pakistan is placed in an ugly situation.
   He said, "We have been victim of nearly 97 suicide attacks in which 1702 people have been killed, since 2002. As many as 33 suicide attacks were made this year. Three suicide attacks were made, one after another, during the last week. About 36 people died in suicide attack at Peshawar on Saturday, and 41 people, including two soldiers and three policemen lost their lives on Monday after a suicide bomber exploded his powder-filled vest, next to two army vehicles, which were passing through at crowded bazaar in Shangla (between Swat and Mansehra) in the Frontier Province.
   This was the most audacious, Palestinian Fedayeen-like attack near the GHQ last Sunday. A brigadier and a Lt. Col, and eight army commandoes embraced martyrdom in the fight back against the militants.
   A Taliban group which gives itself the name of Faruqui, claimed the gruesome attack was carried out in the Seraiki belt of south Punjab, notorious for its hold in that region.
   The militants' objective was to take a few top ranking officers (generals) as hostage and press for the release of about 100 captured militants.
   Ring leader nabbed
   However, the swift action by Army Special Group (SSG) combatants thwarted the move of the attackers with the SSG outfit succeeding in capturing the ring leader Aqeel, alias Dr. Usman. He was once enlisted in the Medical Corps, but later joined the militants in Waziristan.
   The Parliament of Pakistan (both the Senate and the National Assembly) in the resolution, adopted unanimously in the National Assembly, paid tributes to the valour of our armed forces in thwarting the audacious attack.
   In his speech on the floor of the National Assembly Information Minister Kamruzzaman Kaira dispelled the charge of security lapse.
   What had happened was that the CID (Crime Investigation Department) Punjab had previously shared its assessment that "terrorists belonging to the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), in collaboration with Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), were planning to attack the GHQ."
   It had even warned that the terrorists would be clad in military uniforms and while riding a military vehicle or a vehicle designed to pass as one belonging to the military, as disclosed in a report in a newspaper published on Oct 5. The report stated that the information was partly based on interrogations of suspects involved in the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in March.
   There is a general speculation that the army was planning an operation to flush militants in Waziristan. After the attack near GHQ Interior Minister Rahman Malik said the operation in Waziristan was now inevitable.
   However, some doubts have returned about the exact complexion of the Swat operation where normalcy has returned. The renewed attacks by militants in which they are employing suicide bombers may be another attempt by the terrorists to frighten the people. About the attack near GHQ some people say that surely the militants would have known that they could not succeed but it could have been a message that they are prepared to do the worst.

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Anisur Rahman in Sweden

After learning about the name of Herta Muller, I wondered why she was awarded. It was not surprising to see Herta Muller as this year's Nobel prize winner in literature as on that very day I saw her name and photo among other possible talents for this year's award in the list featured in Uppsala Nya Tidning. I met Herta during the Writers and Literary Translators' International Congress--WALTIC in Stockholm last year initiated by the Swedish Writers Union. It was thrilling and inspiring indeed. She is a highly prolific novelist and essayist considered one of the most important German-speaking writers of today.
   However, the Swedish PEN recommendations included French writer Edouard Glissant, Algerian writer Assia Djebar, Bengali writer of India Mahasweta Devi, American writer Joan Didion, Palestinian writer Amos Oz, Indian-British writer Salman Rushdie, Korean poet Ko Un and Danish poet Inger Christenssen.
   In 1913, the main gateway to Bengali literature, Rabindranth Tagore, got the prize for literature. Since then, there has been no focus on Bengali literature. I do not really know or understand how the Swedish Academy picks a name for the prize. Even it is not my headache. As a reader, I feel Tomas Tranströmer from Sweden deserved the prize as other talents from less focused literatures in Asian, African and Latin American languages.
   As a reader I can also see the prize has also been Euro-centric as we found prize mostly had gone to writers in European languages. It seems the academy is promoting European literatures in the world. It has been a prize mostly for Europeans rather than being a global prize in literature. The academy may have the justification in this regard. However, it does not convince me as well as millions of readers worldwide.
   I would like to echo the voice of Indian poet and former Prime Minister VP Singh: "A country lives in the heart of the people not in the map." I must add that a writer lives in the minds of readers, not in academies or prizes, as without getting Nobel Prize August Strindberg, Henrik Ibsen, Ted Hughes, Tomas Tranströmer are envious names in the world literature.

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Holiday Report

The Fall 2009 orientation ceremony of Master of Public Health (MPH) of North South University (NSU), held on 9 October 2009 at NSU Bashundhara Campus
   M. A. Kashem, Chairman, NSU Foundation while welcoming the newly enrolled students mentioned that they have the vision and strategic plan to make NSU a seat of learning that will excel in imparting world-class education in South Asian Region. He also cited the success stories of private universities in Bangladesh taking NSU as an example.
   Vice Chancellor Dr. Hafiz GA. Siddiqi congratulate the newly enrolled students for their success in the competitive admission test. Dr. Siddiqi assured them that NSU as the leading private university is committed to ensure of modern and high quality higher education and conducive academic atmosphere. NSU is producing qualified manpower and has stepped into the health sector as well by launching public health program under the department of Public Health. he added.
   Dr. Hafiz G. A Siddiqi. Vice Chancellor of NSU Chaired the ceremony while Professor Dr. Shah Monir Hossain, Director General of the Directorate of Health Services was present as special guest. Dr. G.U. Ahsan, chairman, department of Public Health. Dr Nazniul Ahsan Khan and Registrar Rashidul Islam also spoke on the occasion, said a press release.

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