Aflatoun- social and financial education
The Bengali poet Golam Mostofa writes, “ Future fathers lie sleeping in every child.” Children can be powerful agents of social and economic change if they are trained and brought up infusing them with social and economic values in their school life. Social thinkers and educators have been exploring newer ideas and thoughts to enrich our children in school with social values and teachings. A new concept known as ‘ Aflatoun’ has emerged in the literature of education to make the school children responsible, proactive and socially conscious citizens who can contribute to breaking the poverty cycle and to improve their own quality of life. The word ‘ Aflatoun’ is of Arabic origin and to refers to ‘ the explorer, a person who thinks, explores, investigates and acts. It also refers to Plato, known for his ideas and ethics, citizenship, social justice, respect, conservation, friendship and love for fellowmen. ( source: www.natcco.coop/index.php)
The Aflatoun program provides children and youth with the budding blocks of life and empowers them to make a positive change in their lives. If balances personal and social awareness with practical planning, saving and entrepreneurial skills. Aflatoun is delivered by network of partners which ensures that the program is adapted to local culture and requirements and is supposed at local levels. With a view to ensuring that the message of Aflatoun is passed on to all children everywhere the partnership is established and the local implementing partners are selected for the network based on the their work with children and their connections within the country. In establishing partnership special attention is given to those organizations which work for developing the situation of education as education is the prime factor to bring change in the society. A curriculum is developed focusing on personal understanding and exploration , understanding and exploring rights and responsibilities , the concept of saving and spending , learning how to plan and budget , skills that make them aware that they have choices and control over how they can use their resources and demonstrate and practice their learning through social and financial micro-enterprises where they collaborate as a team and discover how they can make the local community a safer, healthier and fairer environment. BRAC is the second largest partner of Aflatoun and has developed an Aflatoun curriculum of BRAC for children aged 6-14 years and for grades one to eight. The child’s interdependence with family , neighborhood and community and money as a means of satisfying some needs are also focused in the curriculum. Self-exploration through understanding, feelings, financial ethics and transparency , environmental preservation are other factors which are incorporated in the curriculum. Responsible behavior and citizenship, developing pride, collective action, and organizational skills are taught to the members of Aflatoun. The Aflatouns students become aware of their responsibilities, income, expenditure and saving, democratic values and leadership, fulfillment of needs and well being of the society.
Both Aflatoun and BRAC are striving to empower children. BRAC Education Program launched Aflatoun as a pilot project since 2008 in BRAC Primary schools, BRAC Adolescent Clubs and secondary schools where BRAC works for capacity building of teachers and bringing about a positive change in the overall scenario of school environment. In 1002 BRAC Primary schools, 20 BRAC Adolescent Clubs and 250 secondary schools Aflatoun activities have been introduced reaching 81914 students. The students of these institutions are now more aware of their rights and responsibilities and social issues They have learnt the importance of saving and they are now saving even if it’s small, they can prioritize where to spend, they are learning to utilize used materials, they are cost conscious now, are investigating their savings in buying hens, ducks and goats as assets, their analytical ability has developed. Hidde Van der Veer, Executive Director, Aflaoun (International) says, “Money is just a tool main objective is to develop the habit of the students to grow up socially with financial awareness.” Bernice Raldan, Program Manager, Asia, Aflaoun Secretariat said, “ In 82 countries it is going on. Bangladesh is the second largest country to continue the program whereas India is the largest one to see the program of Aflatoun.” Her lively presentation in the BRAC Centre on November 29, 2011 gathered many national and international eminent personalities belonging to education, co-operatives, banking and social development sectors. Shamim Yusuf , Senior Sector Specialist, BRAC Education Program and the Master Trainer of Aflatoun- Asia shared his experience in the said international stakeholders meeting and I was fortunate enough to be there. My interest to learn more about Aflatoun and its impact has got further momentum participating and coming in contact with the Aflatoun headquarters people. Many developing countries have started incorporating it in their curriculum to derive actual benefit from education.
As Aflatoun’s dream is the reduction of poverty with the help of socially and financially empowered children, Bangladesh context aptly fits it. The Aflatoun program originated in India in 1991 but it started witnessing its success in 2005 when Jhe Ashok fellow Jeroo Billimoria, president and founder of the Aflatoun project made it familiar with different parts of the globe. In order to internalize the concept of Aflatoun interested personalities established a secretariat in Amsterdam. Now it deals with developing financial and social skills of students as well in dealing with adversities but also prepare them for better planning the economic life ahead of them. Financial ethics are explored and children learn the importance of balancing finical skills with the judgment to use these skills responsibly. Aflatoun is grounded in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child ( 1990) .Financial empowerment hinges not only on constructive personal values systems, but also on specific , practical skills. Financial empowerment is achieved when children use their saving and spending skills to maximize their life choices. Through managing community or entrepreneur enterprises children begin to see how they can have a positive impact on their community which is one of the basic objectives of education. To save the slanting quality of education of Bangladesh Aflatoun program can play a significant game.
Masum Billah
Program Manager : BRAC Education Program and Vice-President: Bangladesh English Language Teachers' Association ( BELTA)
Cell: 01714-091431
Email: mmbillah2000@yahoo.com, masumbillah65@gmail.com
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Sir Abed wins WISE – Nobel award in education
Sir Abed wins WISE – Nobel award in education
Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, the founder and chairperson of BRAC, was honoured with the third World Innovation Summit for Education ( WISE) in Doha on November 01, 2011. It is the recognition of his four decade long contribution to reduce poverty through education in Bangladesh and for spreading its model to other parts of the world. 1300 delegates across the world participated in the session. A uniquely designed gold medal with the word’ education ‘ in over 50 languages was presented to Sir Abed. In addition to it, $500000 was awarded to him. “ It’s great privilege to receive such a prestigious award. The recognition belongs to BRAC the organization I founded 40 years ago.”- Sir Abed said. Over the next forty years, he built the organization with an aim to empower people to grow as individuals. He added “On behalf of 85000 BRAC staff and 45000 BRAC school teachers that I humbly accept this award. We have helped to 1.5 million families to get out of extreme poverty and we are providing financial support to more than 8 million families in Bangladesh alone. The achievement I am proud of is providing high quality primary education for 5 million poor children who were out of school children in Bangladesh and now there are 1.2million children enrolled in our schools”. Sir Abed earned a British knighthood in 2010 and a Clinton Global Citizen Award from former U. S. President Bill Clinton in 2007. He has also received the Henry R Kravis Prize in Leadership, David Rockefeller Bridging Leadership Award and the Gates Award for Global Health from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Conrad N Hilton Humanitarian Prize.
The theme of “Changing Societies, Changing Education’ goes this year’s WISE summit. It discusses how education can become more effective in tackling social, economic and political challenges and promoting sustainable development in a rapidly evolving world. WISE is dedicated to building the future of education through global collaboration. The Qatar Foundation, under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikh Moza bint Nasser, founded it in 2009. Its mission is to address the challenges facing 21st century education, to expand dialogue around the world and to implement practical and suitable solutions. WISE holds an annual international summit that provides a unique platform and meeting place for leaders and experts to share best practices about education . An 11-strong international committee of educational experts made a preliminary assessment and a high –level eminent individuals chaired by Dr. Abdulla took the final decision. The members of WISE Prize 2011 Jury also includes Dr. James H Billington, Librarian of Congress, USA, Naledi Pandor , Minister of Science and Technology, MP South Africa, Prof. Jeffrey D Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute, Columbia University, USA and Fatma Rafiq Zakaria, Chariman of the Maulana Azad Educational Trust, Inida. WSIE chairman and also the chair of the Jury said, “ Our aim is that the prize should raise global awareness of education in all societies and create a platform for innovative and practical solutions. Sir Fazle Hasan’s life and career embody the values of WISE. He recognized that education is a passport to social inclusion and opportunity. He discovered a successful formula, and he adapted and expanded it first in Bangladesh and then in other countries.”
BRAC operates in more than 69 thousand villages of Bangladesh covering an estimated 110 million people through its development interventions that range from primary education, essential healthcare, agricultural support and human rights and legal services to microfinance and enterprise development. BRAC went to Afghanistan with its role model in 2002 and now it works eight countries in Asia and Africa. After just five years in Uganda, BRAC and the MasterCard Foundation already reach over 2 million people and are on schedule to reach 4.2 million people, or over 12 percent of the population by 2016. BRAC has exceeded commitments made in 2007 to educate youth in the poorest parts of Africa and Asia, having committed to mobilizing $271 million for education at the Clinton Global Initiative conference in 2007, with a goal of reaching 7.5 million children by 2012 BRAC has already raised more than $288 million to reach 5.6 million children. BRAC introduces social and emotional learning into its curriculum, teaching self-awareness, self- management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision –making. This approach is especially important in conflict and post-conflict environment life which are the practical phenomena of the lives of children of developing countries.
Abed is the first recipient of the prize which was conceived in 2010. The WISE prize is the largest prize of its kind the in world and is considered as a Nobel prize for the field of education. The WISE committee has rightly chosen the individual for this prestigious award. We think it also hints the Nobel committee in Oslo. His vision, resourcefulness and determination are vital ingredients of the innovation process and he stands as an example to all of us who believe that education, more than anything else, determines the destiny of individuals and societies. The issue of inequality has been thrown into the forefront of world politics. How do we begin to address this? Sir Abed answers “We start with education because education is the great equalizer. “ “Innate talent is distributed equally around the world at birth, knowing no bounds of geography or class” says Susan Davis, president and CEO of BRAC USA.” Opportunity is not. We need to redress that imbalance if this world of 7 billion is to prosper as whole.”
Masum Billah
Program Manager: BRAC Education Program Email: mmbillah2000@yahoo.com
Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, the founder and chairperson of BRAC, was honoured with the third World Innovation Summit for Education ( WISE) in Doha on November 01, 2011. It is the recognition of his four decade long contribution to reduce poverty through education in Bangladesh and for spreading its model to other parts of the world. 1300 delegates across the world participated in the session. A uniquely designed gold medal with the word’ education ‘ in over 50 languages was presented to Sir Abed. In addition to it, $500000 was awarded to him. “ It’s great privilege to receive such a prestigious award. The recognition belongs to BRAC the organization I founded 40 years ago.”- Sir Abed said. Over the next forty years, he built the organization with an aim to empower people to grow as individuals. He added “On behalf of 85000 BRAC staff and 45000 BRAC school teachers that I humbly accept this award. We have helped to 1.5 million families to get out of extreme poverty and we are providing financial support to more than 8 million families in Bangladesh alone. The achievement I am proud of is providing high quality primary education for 5 million poor children who were out of school children in Bangladesh and now there are 1.2million children enrolled in our schools”. Sir Abed earned a British knighthood in 2010 and a Clinton Global Citizen Award from former U. S. President Bill Clinton in 2007. He has also received the Henry R Kravis Prize in Leadership, David Rockefeller Bridging Leadership Award and the Gates Award for Global Health from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Conrad N Hilton Humanitarian Prize.
The theme of “Changing Societies, Changing Education’ goes this year’s WISE summit. It discusses how education can become more effective in tackling social, economic and political challenges and promoting sustainable development in a rapidly evolving world. WISE is dedicated to building the future of education through global collaboration. The Qatar Foundation, under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikh Moza bint Nasser, founded it in 2009. Its mission is to address the challenges facing 21st century education, to expand dialogue around the world and to implement practical and suitable solutions. WISE holds an annual international summit that provides a unique platform and meeting place for leaders and experts to share best practices about education . An 11-strong international committee of educational experts made a preliminary assessment and a high –level eminent individuals chaired by Dr. Abdulla took the final decision. The members of WISE Prize 2011 Jury also includes Dr. James H Billington, Librarian of Congress, USA, Naledi Pandor , Minister of Science and Technology, MP South Africa, Prof. Jeffrey D Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute, Columbia University, USA and Fatma Rafiq Zakaria, Chariman of the Maulana Azad Educational Trust, Inida. WSIE chairman and also the chair of the Jury said, “ Our aim is that the prize should raise global awareness of education in all societies and create a platform for innovative and practical solutions. Sir Fazle Hasan’s life and career embody the values of WISE. He recognized that education is a passport to social inclusion and opportunity. He discovered a successful formula, and he adapted and expanded it first in Bangladesh and then in other countries.”
BRAC operates in more than 69 thousand villages of Bangladesh covering an estimated 110 million people through its development interventions that range from primary education, essential healthcare, agricultural support and human rights and legal services to microfinance and enterprise development. BRAC went to Afghanistan with its role model in 2002 and now it works eight countries in Asia and Africa. After just five years in Uganda, BRAC and the MasterCard Foundation already reach over 2 million people and are on schedule to reach 4.2 million people, or over 12 percent of the population by 2016. BRAC has exceeded commitments made in 2007 to educate youth in the poorest parts of Africa and Asia, having committed to mobilizing $271 million for education at the Clinton Global Initiative conference in 2007, with a goal of reaching 7.5 million children by 2012 BRAC has already raised more than $288 million to reach 5.6 million children. BRAC introduces social and emotional learning into its curriculum, teaching self-awareness, self- management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision –making. This approach is especially important in conflict and post-conflict environment life which are the practical phenomena of the lives of children of developing countries.
Abed is the first recipient of the prize which was conceived in 2010. The WISE prize is the largest prize of its kind the in world and is considered as a Nobel prize for the field of education. The WISE committee has rightly chosen the individual for this prestigious award. We think it also hints the Nobel committee in Oslo. His vision, resourcefulness and determination are vital ingredients of the innovation process and he stands as an example to all of us who believe that education, more than anything else, determines the destiny of individuals and societies. The issue of inequality has been thrown into the forefront of world politics. How do we begin to address this? Sir Abed answers “We start with education because education is the great equalizer. “ “Innate talent is distributed equally around the world at birth, knowing no bounds of geography or class” says Susan Davis, president and CEO of BRAC USA.” Opportunity is not. We need to redress that imbalance if this world of 7 billion is to prosper as whole.”
Masum Billah
Program Manager: BRAC Education Program Email: mmbillah2000@yahoo.com
Monday, October 24, 2011
Boat schooling- an innovation in education
Boat schooling- an innovation in education
When a student of English literature visits greater Sylhet particularly Sunamgonj he/she will remember the famous lines of S.T Coleridge, the romantic poet ‘ Water ,water everywhere, but there is not a drop to drink.” He /she can change it a little bit thus’ water, water everywhere, no land in sight or water, water everywhere, no school in sight.” We know Sylhet is called the land of haors or permanent marshland covering 30.2 percent of its land. Despite the adverse conditions and isolation, people have managed to live in the haors of Sylhet for hundreds of years. Their fighting with nature has given them courage to adjust with the roughness of natural phenomena which have become part of their lives. But the world has seen quite change in the ways of living, earning, education which have very negligible or no effect on these haor or marshlands of Sunamgonj. Of course, the poets or lovers of nature can soothe their eyes by visiting these areas just for a retreat or sojourn. Permanent living keeping them aloof from the world which we call civilized (?) will not allow our minds and strength. Still ‘homo sapiens’ have lived here for long on the lap of nature surrounded by water. The light of education and modernity hardly touches them. We the plain land people, the fortunate people and the state definitely have some responsibilities towards them. Generally and traditionally in rural Bangladesh boys are the first ones to be sent to school and girls can go to school only if the facility is not too far from home. Often, the nearest school is miles away and for girls this can represent an insurmountable challenge to their schooling. The picture of schooling in haor areas prove extremely miserable. Standing beside the education deprived populace has come under the thought of BRAC Education as it promises to extend education facilities to those who have no option for schooling.
Traditionally the natural location of Sunamgonj haor area people doesn’t send their children to school. They don’t even think of sending them to school in this age of computer and internet whereas we have promised a lot to the nation. They deserve the light of education and it is our duty to reach it to the haor children. From BRAC’s commitment to the outreach population, it started campaign and searched for every possible means and ways and talked to the local boat making people and made them know that BRAC was going to make arrangements of primary education for the haor children. People from all walks of life started welcoming this initiative. In one research it is seen that in greater Sylhet children start going to school at the age of six and their percentage is 52. In plain land this rate is 50, in haor area it is 60 and in tea estate areas it is 73. To make the dream of giving education to the deprived children of haor areas into reality BRAC Education Program launched a boat schooling program at Sunamgjon district. On 26th September 2011 a new chapter has opened in the history of education of the haor people. BRAC Education Program started schools on boats in two villages namely Dhorerpar and Rahamatpur on that day. Each boat will pick teachers and 30 registered students from nearer ‘ hati’. After finishing class they will be dropped in their home. They consider this as an excellent opportunity of becoming familiar with the letters and alphabets. At the launching event Dr. Mahbub Hossain,the Executive Director of BRAC said, “ BRAC works to support government. Our values are reflected in our work.” According to research statistics it is seen that 42 percent of the villages in Sylhet have no primary schools. In terms of literacy rate also it lags far behind the national average. The literacy rate for 7 plus populations is 40.7 percent and for adult population it is 44.4 percent but national rates are 48.5 percent and 52.1 percent respectively.
The Executive Director of BRAC, Dr. Mahbub Hossain, Director- BRAC Education Program, Dr. Safiqul Islam and the Deputy Commissioner of Sunamgonj-Muhammad Yasin Chowdhury were present in the boat schooling launching ceremony to give encouragement to the villagers and children. It also sets an example of GO and NGO-cooperation. Now this boat schooling opportunity is extended to ten villages such as Rahamatpur, Bagani and Aktapara of Jamalgonj Upazia, Dhararpar, Dharerpar of Bishamvar upazial, Bhatital of Dirai Upazial, Raghunath pur of Shalla, Rameshorpur, Jagadishpur and Gazipur of Sonakani and Tahirpur Upazila. Total ten boats will hold schooling program for three hundred children. It exists as an example for others to extend hands to bring the deprived children of the haor people under schooling program. The government can make such kind of arrangements for the haor people as well as for the children who cannot go to school due to flood in many parts of Bangladesh as frequent flood is a common natural phenomenon here. Normal schooling gets hampered every year in several parts of Bangladesh but no tangible arrangement has yet been done except to yield to the whims of nature and accept non-schooling during flood.
It deserves relevance to mention here that in BRAC primary schools 1.2 million students are currently enrolled. It is more encouraging that most of them are female students who usually get the second priority from their parents to go to school. The presence of BRAC primary schools in their vicinity has changed this notion of the parents proving their old and superstitious ideas. So far almost 5 million children have graduated and received basic education from these BRAC Primary Schools, while nearly 95 percent continue to secondary schools and they show far better performance in terms of presence in the class, cultural aspects, participation in educational activities and academic results. Introducing boat schooling has opened new vistas for BRAC Education Program and it cherishes to borrow all out cooperation from all concerned to make it a successful and sustainable project.
Masum Billah :Program Manager: BRAC Education Program
(Ex-Faculty: Ghatail Cantonment College, Sylhet, Comilla and Mirzapur Cadet College and Rajuk Uttara Model College)
When a student of English literature visits greater Sylhet particularly Sunamgonj he/she will remember the famous lines of S.T Coleridge, the romantic poet ‘ Water ,water everywhere, but there is not a drop to drink.” He /she can change it a little bit thus’ water, water everywhere, no land in sight or water, water everywhere, no school in sight.” We know Sylhet is called the land of haors or permanent marshland covering 30.2 percent of its land. Despite the adverse conditions and isolation, people have managed to live in the haors of Sylhet for hundreds of years. Their fighting with nature has given them courage to adjust with the roughness of natural phenomena which have become part of their lives. But the world has seen quite change in the ways of living, earning, education which have very negligible or no effect on these haor or marshlands of Sunamgonj. Of course, the poets or lovers of nature can soothe their eyes by visiting these areas just for a retreat or sojourn. Permanent living keeping them aloof from the world which we call civilized (?) will not allow our minds and strength. Still ‘homo sapiens’ have lived here for long on the lap of nature surrounded by water. The light of education and modernity hardly touches them. We the plain land people, the fortunate people and the state definitely have some responsibilities towards them. Generally and traditionally in rural Bangladesh boys are the first ones to be sent to school and girls can go to school only if the facility is not too far from home. Often, the nearest school is miles away and for girls this can represent an insurmountable challenge to their schooling. The picture of schooling in haor areas prove extremely miserable. Standing beside the education deprived populace has come under the thought of BRAC Education as it promises to extend education facilities to those who have no option for schooling.
Traditionally the natural location of Sunamgonj haor area people doesn’t send their children to school. They don’t even think of sending them to school in this age of computer and internet whereas we have promised a lot to the nation. They deserve the light of education and it is our duty to reach it to the haor children. From BRAC’s commitment to the outreach population, it started campaign and searched for every possible means and ways and talked to the local boat making people and made them know that BRAC was going to make arrangements of primary education for the haor children. People from all walks of life started welcoming this initiative. In one research it is seen that in greater Sylhet children start going to school at the age of six and their percentage is 52. In plain land this rate is 50, in haor area it is 60 and in tea estate areas it is 73. To make the dream of giving education to the deprived children of haor areas into reality BRAC Education Program launched a boat schooling program at Sunamgjon district. On 26th September 2011 a new chapter has opened in the history of education of the haor people. BRAC Education Program started schools on boats in two villages namely Dhorerpar and Rahamatpur on that day. Each boat will pick teachers and 30 registered students from nearer ‘ hati’. After finishing class they will be dropped in their home. They consider this as an excellent opportunity of becoming familiar with the letters and alphabets. At the launching event Dr. Mahbub Hossain,the Executive Director of BRAC said, “ BRAC works to support government. Our values are reflected in our work.” According to research statistics it is seen that 42 percent of the villages in Sylhet have no primary schools. In terms of literacy rate also it lags far behind the national average. The literacy rate for 7 plus populations is 40.7 percent and for adult population it is 44.4 percent but national rates are 48.5 percent and 52.1 percent respectively.
The Executive Director of BRAC, Dr. Mahbub Hossain, Director- BRAC Education Program, Dr. Safiqul Islam and the Deputy Commissioner of Sunamgonj-Muhammad Yasin Chowdhury were present in the boat schooling launching ceremony to give encouragement to the villagers and children. It also sets an example of GO and NGO-cooperation. Now this boat schooling opportunity is extended to ten villages such as Rahamatpur, Bagani and Aktapara of Jamalgonj Upazia, Dhararpar, Dharerpar of Bishamvar upazial, Bhatital of Dirai Upazial, Raghunath pur of Shalla, Rameshorpur, Jagadishpur and Gazipur of Sonakani and Tahirpur Upazila. Total ten boats will hold schooling program for three hundred children. It exists as an example for others to extend hands to bring the deprived children of the haor people under schooling program. The government can make such kind of arrangements for the haor people as well as for the children who cannot go to school due to flood in many parts of Bangladesh as frequent flood is a common natural phenomenon here. Normal schooling gets hampered every year in several parts of Bangladesh but no tangible arrangement has yet been done except to yield to the whims of nature and accept non-schooling during flood.
It deserves relevance to mention here that in BRAC primary schools 1.2 million students are currently enrolled. It is more encouraging that most of them are female students who usually get the second priority from their parents to go to school. The presence of BRAC primary schools in their vicinity has changed this notion of the parents proving their old and superstitious ideas. So far almost 5 million children have graduated and received basic education from these BRAC Primary Schools, while nearly 95 percent continue to secondary schools and they show far better performance in terms of presence in the class, cultural aspects, participation in educational activities and academic results. Introducing boat schooling has opened new vistas for BRAC Education Program and it cherishes to borrow all out cooperation from all concerned to make it a successful and sustainable project.
Masum Billah :Program Manager: BRAC Education Program
(Ex-Faculty: Ghatail Cantonment College, Sylhet, Comilla and Mirzapur Cadet College and Rajuk Uttara Model College)
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Sir Fazle Hasan Abed deserves next Nobel Peace Prize
The future recipient of Nobel Peace Prize
This year the world’s most prestigious Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberian social worker Leymah Gbowee and Tawakul Karman of Yemen as the recognition of their ‘ non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peace building work for promoting peace, democracy and gender equality. Most of the recipients in the award’s 110-year history have been men but this year it shows a striking difference. It gives a new signal and bears a special significance. Nobel Committee Chairman Thorbjorn Jagland’s announcement clandestinely explains how much importance has been attached to women empowerment in the global arena in awarding this prize, “We cannot achieve democracy and lasting peace in the world unless women achieve the same opportunities as men to influence developments at all levels of society.” We congratulate the three glorious women on winning this prestigious award and give thanks to the Nobel Committee for their judicious and subtle decision.
Sirleaf, a Harvard-trained economist, is the first democratically elected president of Liberia since 2005. She has contributed to securing peace in Liberia, to promoting economic and social development, and to strengthening the position of women. In her reaction she said ‘the award gives her a stronger commitment to work for reconciliation in the war –torn West African nation’. Gbowee, a trained social worker, was cited for her efforts in organizing women, across ethnic and religious dividing lines to bring an end to the long war in Liberia and to ensure women’s participation in elections. She introduced ‘sex strike’ to compel the males to work with them. Liberian conflict killed 250000 people and ruined the country. Karman heads the Yemeni organization Women Journalists Without Chains and has been jailed several times over her campaigns for press freedom and her opposition to the government of president Ali Abdullah Saleh.She took to the streets of the capital along with about 50 other university students in January , demanding the resignation of president Ali Abdullah Saleh. She is the first Arab woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize.
The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded 98 times to individuals and 23 times to organizations since 1901. The youngest peace laureate was Mairead Corrigan aged 32, and the oldest 87-year old Joseph Rotblat. Peace prize actually covers a variegated range of fields. In 2004 Wangari Maathai of Kenya was awarded the peace prize for planting four crore trees to bring change in weather, supply shed fuel and fruits to the farmers and increase the food production. Peace cannot prevail where poverty reigns. The absence of social security and illiteracy cannot bring peace. Very rare examples exist in the world to work against all these ills . This rare work has been done by a Bangladesh son named Fazle Hasan Abed and his organization named BRAC which has already earned name, familiarity and fame beyond the boundaries of this developing nation. The Nobel Committee is entreated to take into consideration and enlist the name of this icon whose contribution to the fields which remain responsible for establishing peace in the globe in the next year Nobel Peace Prize. President Tutu, another Nobel laureate commented on Sirleaf’s prize that’ it is too late.’ People also consider Sir Fazle Hasan Abed’s winning the Peace Nobel Prize is getting late.
BRAC strives to achieve its mission by working with the poor, especially women and children, engaging in multifaceted development interventions, to promote positive changes in quality of life, working towards attaining socially, financially and environmentally sustainable programs. It actively promotes human rights, human dignity and gender equity and helps shape national and global policies on poverty reduction and social progress. BRAC launched its journey in the field of micro finance in Bangladesh in 1974. Today it is the largest poverty focused microfinance provider in the world with 8 million members and USD660 million in outstanding loans. The micro-finance program has achieved this success by implementing a model that focuses on building the structure and system for sustainable microfinance with the ability to reach scale and organizing the poor in a manner that enables them to form a compact for empowerment and growth through micro-finance.
BRAC boasts of a huge non-formal primary education with 38000 one-room primary schools which presently impart education to 1.2 million children. 5 million Students have already graduated from these schools. It also runs 8250 primary schools through 782 NGOs. These schools enroll children often deprived of the option of continuing schooling due to poor economic background, ethnic backgrounds and disabilities. The schools employ local women as teachers and above 60 percent of the students are girls. BRAC runs 26, 350 pre-primary schools and so far 3 million children have been promoted to primary schools. In the first public examination for class five BRAC schools occupied the second position in the country. It has a special life skill courses for both adolescent boys and girls at the village level. It provides scope for socializing, access to reading materials and develops leadership skills. There are 8868 ADP centers all over the country. Its Post-primary basic education intervention develops the capacity of rural secondary school teachers in English, Mathematics, Science and Management. This intervention also works to increase the self esteem among students by engaging in co-and extracurricular activities that again contribute to improving the quality of education. The multipurpose community learning centers or popularly known as Gonokendras provide continued learning and IT facilities for all of the people in the community with minimum education and foster community contribution in spreading education. Gonokendras extend education facilities to the doorstep of the village women, disabled and people deprived of formal education.
BRAC offers primitive, preventive, limited curative care and reproductive health services to more than 100million people in rural and urban Bangladesh through its Essential Health Care services. Community Health Workers and Volunteers of BRAC Health Program make regular household visits to raise awareness on basic health and hygiene issues. They apply the techniques of inter-personal communication, arranging health forums and providing treatment for common diseases and pregnancy related care. 85000 Community Health Volunteers popularly known as Shasthya Shebika and more than 7000 Community Health Workers are trained to offer these services. In partnership with the Government of Bangladesh BRAC is implementing the community based Tuberculosis Control Program covering 88million population. WASH program intends to ensure improved supplies and sanitation facilities to individual households, schools and communities. This program ensures access to sanitation services for 17.5million people of 150 upazials, hygiene education for 38.5 million people and safe water services for 8.5million people across rural Bangladesh.
“ Translating Awareness into Action” is the motto of the Social Development Program aiming at enabling the rural poor especially women to build secure and use socio-political assets to improve their well being, reduce vulnerability ,take advantage of new opportunities, exercise their rights and play a more active role in public life. BRAC promises to protect and promote rights through legal empowerment especially for the poor and marginalized through its Human Rights and Legal Services. It creates awareness on human rights and laws to empower the poor and marginalized through community mobilization and capacity building. BRAC presently works in eight countries other than Bangladesh.
More than one lac regular and irregular staff members work relentlessly for the success and further innovation of this large organization. Awarding Nobel Peace Prize to its founder or the organization will encourage the entire cluster of beneficiaries and give impetus to all concerned for steering the welfare oriented efforts in all parts of the globe extending real opportunities to the people wishing to see this planet as a peaceful abode.
Masum Billah
Program Manager: BRAC Education Program and Vice-President: Bangladesh English Language Teachers Association (BELTA)
Cell: 01714-091431
Email: mmbillah2000@yahoo.com
This year the world’s most prestigious Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberian social worker Leymah Gbowee and Tawakul Karman of Yemen as the recognition of their ‘ non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peace building work for promoting peace, democracy and gender equality. Most of the recipients in the award’s 110-year history have been men but this year it shows a striking difference. It gives a new signal and bears a special significance. Nobel Committee Chairman Thorbjorn Jagland’s announcement clandestinely explains how much importance has been attached to women empowerment in the global arena in awarding this prize, “We cannot achieve democracy and lasting peace in the world unless women achieve the same opportunities as men to influence developments at all levels of society.” We congratulate the three glorious women on winning this prestigious award and give thanks to the Nobel Committee for their judicious and subtle decision.
Sirleaf, a Harvard-trained economist, is the first democratically elected president of Liberia since 2005. She has contributed to securing peace in Liberia, to promoting economic and social development, and to strengthening the position of women. In her reaction she said ‘the award gives her a stronger commitment to work for reconciliation in the war –torn West African nation’. Gbowee, a trained social worker, was cited for her efforts in organizing women, across ethnic and religious dividing lines to bring an end to the long war in Liberia and to ensure women’s participation in elections. She introduced ‘sex strike’ to compel the males to work with them. Liberian conflict killed 250000 people and ruined the country. Karman heads the Yemeni organization Women Journalists Without Chains and has been jailed several times over her campaigns for press freedom and her opposition to the government of president Ali Abdullah Saleh.She took to the streets of the capital along with about 50 other university students in January , demanding the resignation of president Ali Abdullah Saleh. She is the first Arab woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize.
The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded 98 times to individuals and 23 times to organizations since 1901. The youngest peace laureate was Mairead Corrigan aged 32, and the oldest 87-year old Joseph Rotblat. Peace prize actually covers a variegated range of fields. In 2004 Wangari Maathai of Kenya was awarded the peace prize for planting four crore trees to bring change in weather, supply shed fuel and fruits to the farmers and increase the food production. Peace cannot prevail where poverty reigns. The absence of social security and illiteracy cannot bring peace. Very rare examples exist in the world to work against all these ills . This rare work has been done by a Bangladesh son named Fazle Hasan Abed and his organization named BRAC which has already earned name, familiarity and fame beyond the boundaries of this developing nation. The Nobel Committee is entreated to take into consideration and enlist the name of this icon whose contribution to the fields which remain responsible for establishing peace in the globe in the next year Nobel Peace Prize. President Tutu, another Nobel laureate commented on Sirleaf’s prize that’ it is too late.’ People also consider Sir Fazle Hasan Abed’s winning the Peace Nobel Prize is getting late.
BRAC strives to achieve its mission by working with the poor, especially women and children, engaging in multifaceted development interventions, to promote positive changes in quality of life, working towards attaining socially, financially and environmentally sustainable programs. It actively promotes human rights, human dignity and gender equity and helps shape national and global policies on poverty reduction and social progress. BRAC launched its journey in the field of micro finance in Bangladesh in 1974. Today it is the largest poverty focused microfinance provider in the world with 8 million members and USD660 million in outstanding loans. The micro-finance program has achieved this success by implementing a model that focuses on building the structure and system for sustainable microfinance with the ability to reach scale and organizing the poor in a manner that enables them to form a compact for empowerment and growth through micro-finance.
BRAC boasts of a huge non-formal primary education with 38000 one-room primary schools which presently impart education to 1.2 million children. 5 million Students have already graduated from these schools. It also runs 8250 primary schools through 782 NGOs. These schools enroll children often deprived of the option of continuing schooling due to poor economic background, ethnic backgrounds and disabilities. The schools employ local women as teachers and above 60 percent of the students are girls. BRAC runs 26, 350 pre-primary schools and so far 3 million children have been promoted to primary schools. In the first public examination for class five BRAC schools occupied the second position in the country. It has a special life skill courses for both adolescent boys and girls at the village level. It provides scope for socializing, access to reading materials and develops leadership skills. There are 8868 ADP centers all over the country. Its Post-primary basic education intervention develops the capacity of rural secondary school teachers in English, Mathematics, Science and Management. This intervention also works to increase the self esteem among students by engaging in co-and extracurricular activities that again contribute to improving the quality of education. The multipurpose community learning centers or popularly known as Gonokendras provide continued learning and IT facilities for all of the people in the community with minimum education and foster community contribution in spreading education. Gonokendras extend education facilities to the doorstep of the village women, disabled and people deprived of formal education.
BRAC offers primitive, preventive, limited curative care and reproductive health services to more than 100million people in rural and urban Bangladesh through its Essential Health Care services. Community Health Workers and Volunteers of BRAC Health Program make regular household visits to raise awareness on basic health and hygiene issues. They apply the techniques of inter-personal communication, arranging health forums and providing treatment for common diseases and pregnancy related care. 85000 Community Health Volunteers popularly known as Shasthya Shebika and more than 7000 Community Health Workers are trained to offer these services. In partnership with the Government of Bangladesh BRAC is implementing the community based Tuberculosis Control Program covering 88million population. WASH program intends to ensure improved supplies and sanitation facilities to individual households, schools and communities. This program ensures access to sanitation services for 17.5million people of 150 upazials, hygiene education for 38.5 million people and safe water services for 8.5million people across rural Bangladesh.
“ Translating Awareness into Action” is the motto of the Social Development Program aiming at enabling the rural poor especially women to build secure and use socio-political assets to improve their well being, reduce vulnerability ,take advantage of new opportunities, exercise their rights and play a more active role in public life. BRAC promises to protect and promote rights through legal empowerment especially for the poor and marginalized through its Human Rights and Legal Services. It creates awareness on human rights and laws to empower the poor and marginalized through community mobilization and capacity building. BRAC presently works in eight countries other than Bangladesh.
More than one lac regular and irregular staff members work relentlessly for the success and further innovation of this large organization. Awarding Nobel Peace Prize to its founder or the organization will encourage the entire cluster of beneficiaries and give impetus to all concerned for steering the welfare oriented efforts in all parts of the globe extending real opportunities to the people wishing to see this planet as a peaceful abode.
Masum Billah
Program Manager: BRAC Education Program and Vice-President: Bangladesh English Language Teachers Association (BELTA)
Cell: 01714-091431
Email: mmbillah2000@yahoo.com
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
School teachers teach in colleges
Secondary school teachers conduct classes in colleges
With a view to addressing the increasing crisis of admission into intermediate level the government turned ten government schools into colleges and this process was started in 2007 as a huge number of students passed the SSC examination that year. Firstly, Dhanmondi Government High School, Motijheel Government Boys’ High School and Sher-e-Banglanagar Boys’ High School introduced intermediate class. Again in 2008 Khilgaon Government High School and Sher-e-Banglanagar Girls’ High School were turned into colleges reaching the number five. Another five schools have been upgraded to colleges outside Dhaka . They are Chittagong Collegiate School, Rajshahi Collegiate School, Sylhet Augragami Girls’ School, Khulna Zilla School and Barisal Zilla School . The decision in one sense was wise indeed. But its hastiness without giving subsequent thoughts and its present inertia regarding the next course of action in these institutions to offer quality education have exerted a negative impact on the studies in these newly turned colleges. 1500 students have already passed the HSC examinations from these institutions in the last two years facing some basic problems.
Usually, specialized subject based teachers don’t teach individual subjects in the secondary level ( upto grade ten) in our country except in cadet colleges, cantonment school and colleges, Rifles Public school and College, Residential Model School and College, Rajuk Uttara Model College and some institutions controlled by Corporations and Mills. Subject based teachers are recruited in these institutions. Here English teachers teach only English, not Bengali or other subjects. Chemistry teachers teach Chemistry, Physics teachers take classes on Physics. The secondary schools both in urban and rural, government and non-government mathematics teachers teach mathematics and other science subjects. Social welfare teachers teach sociology and Bengali, Bengali teachers teach both Bengali and English. This is the usual pattern of staffing to teach the subjects prescribed in the secondary level. This discrimination or specialized system in some secondary level institutions contributes a great deal to show a large gap of results among schools. Cadet colleges and Rajuk College and the similar ones excel in result in the public examinations and in other areas of students’ performance because subject-based teachers teach in these institutions. Teachers having masters in a particular subject and with experience definitely deliver a different and developed way of class. Intermediate classes of all colleges are run by subject based teachers. When the subject based teachers teach in the intermediate as well in the secondary level the situation of overall teaching environment is sure to see a change. Moreover, the course of SSC and HSC shows a big difference in terms of volume as well as standard. . Teachers without having masters normally cannot give proper teaching in this level. The teachers having simple graduation working in these institutions cannot give satisfactory way of delivery which these newly turned colleges experience. In our new education policy secondary level will be up to grade twelve like most of the countries and subject based teachers may be recruited then. Till now intermediate level is considered as college and subject based teachers are necessary for it. In most of the countries of the world secondary level is called high school up to twelve classes.
It is sad enough that no new policy has been adopted to run the newly turned ten government schools into colleges smoothly and effectively. Recruitment of new teachers of college level has not yet received any consideration of the authorities concerned. They just changed the name of the schools into college or upgraded the classes from ten to twelve like political declaration. Now a teacher is to conduct even eight classes a day as to run both schools and colleges which is a tremendous pressure of their part. Then again, a teacher is to move from class one to twelve creating a standard vacuum. It is difficult for a teacher to match quickly with the levels. A teacher said that he had to conduct classes in class one and just after class one he has to take another class to twelve grade. Psychologically it is not sound for the learners and for the teachers as well. So, the students admitted in these newly turned colleges don’t feel the warmth of colleges. They don’t; find the standard teaching as the secondary level teachers teach in the same way in the intermediate section as they do in schools. Students have already lost their interest to continue their studies in these institutions showing the result and standard of teaching below standard. The proof comes in the way that some of these colleges don’t get students to continue intermediate class whereas the better colleges of the country cannot accommodate the huge pressure of students. Barisal collegiate school doesn’t get students. Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Boys’ High School has 80 seats in commerce group but 55 students got admission here. In science group out of 80 only 30 students got enrolled.
The institutional heads of these newly turned colleges sent proposals several times to the authorities concerned for increasing the number of teachers but no solution has yet been found. I came to find in the newspapers that the media people talked to the proper authorities such as the Secretary of the ministry and the Director General of Secondary and Higher Education but their answers seemed to be evading the real problems. In this connection, I want to put forward some suggestions which the authorities may consider. In the last several years a good number of potential and young teachers having masters been recruited in the government secondary schools. These teachers try to leave the job as they are not satisfied with their position and designation. The position of these teachers can be upgraded changing their designation as lecturer. They can be transferred to these institutions as lecturers. If it is done they will work with full dedication and don’t think of leaving the job.
It does not seem reasonable to learn that the five upgraded schools of Dhaka city don’t find subject based teachers. Many teachers are trying heart and soul to come to Dhaka and other big cities from the rural areas and moffashal towns. Due to the non-availability of post, the authorities cannot transfer them to Dhaka. The posts lying vacant can be filled in by transferring the teachers from other areas and the activities of these institutions can be turned into a normal going.
Many master degree holder students have been unemployed in the country. They can be employed in these institutions part time basis as lecturers. It will be a great help for the unemployed potential youths. To meet the extra amount to pay the part time teachers can be met with tuition fees of the students. It will not incur extra financial burden of the ministry. Only initiatives and right decision can show a better solution these newly turned institutes are facing. The institutional heads can be assigned with dealing with this temporary recruitment avoiding the bureaucratic tangle lying in this field. When the objective is to offer quality education and narrowing admission crisis, we should be liberal enough to take decisions in this regard empowering the institutional heads.
Masum Billah
Program Manager: BRAC Education Program and Vice-President: Bangladesh English Language Teachers’ Association (BELTA)
With a view to addressing the increasing crisis of admission into intermediate level the government turned ten government schools into colleges and this process was started in 2007 as a huge number of students passed the SSC examination that year. Firstly, Dhanmondi Government High School, Motijheel Government Boys’ High School and Sher-e-Banglanagar Boys’ High School introduced intermediate class. Again in 2008 Khilgaon Government High School and Sher-e-Banglanagar Girls’ High School were turned into colleges reaching the number five. Another five schools have been upgraded to colleges outside Dhaka . They are Chittagong Collegiate School, Rajshahi Collegiate School, Sylhet Augragami Girls’ School, Khulna Zilla School and Barisal Zilla School . The decision in one sense was wise indeed. But its hastiness without giving subsequent thoughts and its present inertia regarding the next course of action in these institutions to offer quality education have exerted a negative impact on the studies in these newly turned colleges. 1500 students have already passed the HSC examinations from these institutions in the last two years facing some basic problems.
Usually, specialized subject based teachers don’t teach individual subjects in the secondary level ( upto grade ten) in our country except in cadet colleges, cantonment school and colleges, Rifles Public school and College, Residential Model School and College, Rajuk Uttara Model College and some institutions controlled by Corporations and Mills. Subject based teachers are recruited in these institutions. Here English teachers teach only English, not Bengali or other subjects. Chemistry teachers teach Chemistry, Physics teachers take classes on Physics. The secondary schools both in urban and rural, government and non-government mathematics teachers teach mathematics and other science subjects. Social welfare teachers teach sociology and Bengali, Bengali teachers teach both Bengali and English. This is the usual pattern of staffing to teach the subjects prescribed in the secondary level. This discrimination or specialized system in some secondary level institutions contributes a great deal to show a large gap of results among schools. Cadet colleges and Rajuk College and the similar ones excel in result in the public examinations and in other areas of students’ performance because subject-based teachers teach in these institutions. Teachers having masters in a particular subject and with experience definitely deliver a different and developed way of class. Intermediate classes of all colleges are run by subject based teachers. When the subject based teachers teach in the intermediate as well in the secondary level the situation of overall teaching environment is sure to see a change. Moreover, the course of SSC and HSC shows a big difference in terms of volume as well as standard. . Teachers without having masters normally cannot give proper teaching in this level. The teachers having simple graduation working in these institutions cannot give satisfactory way of delivery which these newly turned colleges experience. In our new education policy secondary level will be up to grade twelve like most of the countries and subject based teachers may be recruited then. Till now intermediate level is considered as college and subject based teachers are necessary for it. In most of the countries of the world secondary level is called high school up to twelve classes.
It is sad enough that no new policy has been adopted to run the newly turned ten government schools into colleges smoothly and effectively. Recruitment of new teachers of college level has not yet received any consideration of the authorities concerned. They just changed the name of the schools into college or upgraded the classes from ten to twelve like political declaration. Now a teacher is to conduct even eight classes a day as to run both schools and colleges which is a tremendous pressure of their part. Then again, a teacher is to move from class one to twelve creating a standard vacuum. It is difficult for a teacher to match quickly with the levels. A teacher said that he had to conduct classes in class one and just after class one he has to take another class to twelve grade. Psychologically it is not sound for the learners and for the teachers as well. So, the students admitted in these newly turned colleges don’t feel the warmth of colleges. They don’t; find the standard teaching as the secondary level teachers teach in the same way in the intermediate section as they do in schools. Students have already lost their interest to continue their studies in these institutions showing the result and standard of teaching below standard. The proof comes in the way that some of these colleges don’t get students to continue intermediate class whereas the better colleges of the country cannot accommodate the huge pressure of students. Barisal collegiate school doesn’t get students. Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Boys’ High School has 80 seats in commerce group but 55 students got admission here. In science group out of 80 only 30 students got enrolled.
The institutional heads of these newly turned colleges sent proposals several times to the authorities concerned for increasing the number of teachers but no solution has yet been found. I came to find in the newspapers that the media people talked to the proper authorities such as the Secretary of the ministry and the Director General of Secondary and Higher Education but their answers seemed to be evading the real problems. In this connection, I want to put forward some suggestions which the authorities may consider. In the last several years a good number of potential and young teachers having masters been recruited in the government secondary schools. These teachers try to leave the job as they are not satisfied with their position and designation. The position of these teachers can be upgraded changing their designation as lecturer. They can be transferred to these institutions as lecturers. If it is done they will work with full dedication and don’t think of leaving the job.
It does not seem reasonable to learn that the five upgraded schools of Dhaka city don’t find subject based teachers. Many teachers are trying heart and soul to come to Dhaka and other big cities from the rural areas and moffashal towns. Due to the non-availability of post, the authorities cannot transfer them to Dhaka. The posts lying vacant can be filled in by transferring the teachers from other areas and the activities of these institutions can be turned into a normal going.
Many master degree holder students have been unemployed in the country. They can be employed in these institutions part time basis as lecturers. It will be a great help for the unemployed potential youths. To meet the extra amount to pay the part time teachers can be met with tuition fees of the students. It will not incur extra financial burden of the ministry. Only initiatives and right decision can show a better solution these newly turned institutes are facing. The institutional heads can be assigned with dealing with this temporary recruitment avoiding the bureaucratic tangle lying in this field. When the objective is to offer quality education and narrowing admission crisis, we should be liberal enough to take decisions in this regard empowering the institutional heads.
Masum Billah
Program Manager: BRAC Education Program and Vice-President: Bangladesh English Language Teachers’ Association (BELTA)
New Education Policy from 2013
New Education Policy from 2013
The present education policy claims greater acceptance than the previous ones due to its strong base on huge public opinion. Introducing public interest oriented and scientific education policy has been the demand for long. Again this education policy is the reflection of Kudrat-e-Khuda Education Commission which was instituted just after our independence. The government has taken steps to reorganize the curriculum from class six to twelve keeping pace with the modern knowledge, science and technology. It has announced that the students will get the books under new curriculum by 1st January 2013. By March 2012 the writing of books on new syllabus and curriculum will be completed. The Education Minister released this news at BIAM Foundation in the National Education Policy 2010 seminar organized by NCTB and SESDP. Some remarkable steps have already been taken to implement the present education policy. An implementation committee, 24 sub-committees have been formed to give it a momentum. Completion examination after class five and Junior Certificate Examination for class eight, distribution of books across the country, distribution of computer, introducing lunch in some areas of the country to retain the students in the class manifest the steps taken by the government.
The present education policy says that the subjects which are taught as general subjects should be written keeping pace with the trend and culture of the country. Again, they need to be revised, rewritten and corrected when necessary. But coordinated law is necessary to implement the policy. It needs to be passed in the parliamentary session without delay. Education as rights should be ensured for the backward people. The proposed education commission must be formed immediately. To constitute accreditation council to ensure the standard of public and private universities should be done without delay. To monitor the process chief education monitor should be employed.
The Education Minister said that the country now sees the curriculum adopted eighteen years back and implemented in 1996. Changes in the global arena, the demand in teachers and learners have taken place. So, to revise, change and extension of our curriculum is a must. The aim of our education is to equip our children to face the challenges of the 21st century and imbue them with the teachings of values, honesty, and sincerity and patriotism and to develop them as responsible and ideal citizens of the country. He added that everybody should not receive higher education, it is not necessary for all as well. Technical and vocational education is emphasized in the present education policy. To bring changes he emphasized the duration of teaching time, the dedicated and meritorious candidates to be employed in teaching profession. To establish a separate commission to select the deserving candidates for teaching profession is not moving fast. The minister informed that 75 books of secondary and four in the higher secondary level books will see change. After completing pre-primary and primary ( up to eight) a portion of students will be able to take admission in the secondary level and another portion in the vocational education. After the completion of secondary education students will have opportunity to receive vocational education or higher education. Even the vocational educators also have scope to receive higher education particularly those who are capable.
In this new curriculum from six to eight in general and madrasa English for 150 marks, Bengali 150, mathematics 100, Bangladesh and the World affairs 100, Science 100, Environment 50, ICT 50 total 700 marks. 300-400 marks will be for their own stream.In the secondary level from class nine and ten there will be Humanities, Science and Business Education groups. For each group there will be Bengal for 200 marks, English 200, Mathematics 100, Religious Education and moral education 100, ICT 50, Education, Health and Games and Sports for 100 marks and total 750 marks compulsory and 400 for their own stream.
In Eleven and twelfth grades Bengali will be taught for 200 marks, English 200, ICT 50 and Health Education and Games and Sports for 100 marks. Human qualities, morality, democratic values, discipline, patriotism, creativity, analytical capability, developing imaginative power are emphasized in all the streams and levels. The duration of class time will be increased from 35 to 50 minutes. Yearly leaves/vacations will be squeezed from 141 to 116 days. The time of SSC and HSC examinations will be lessened to utilize more time for teaching-learning purpose.
Finally for the implementation of the present education policy financing, education administration, public awareness stand as key factors which call for serious thought. At present the education field of the country sees only 2.3 percent expenditure from national income. Other developing countries of the world already have been using 6 percent of the GDP and Bangladesh promises to do it. The situation does not show any positive sign before us as we can collect only 11 percent revenue income and to spend 6 percent from it for education proves to be absurd. How far we are lagging behind in this respect can be deduced from the fact to learn that Japan used 43 percent of its GDP for education since 1906-1911. ( Samakal 21 September 2011). And where we stand after one hundred years!
Still most of the students of universities in Bangladesh belong to relatively higher economic class of society showing the opportunities are open for the higher segment of population. In respect of higher education the emphasis should be given on infrastructure building, research capacity enhancement and technological uplift. Public universities should construct safety nets of the pupils coming from poor segment of population. The private costs of primary education is high for poor families because of high opportunity costs of education and expected benefits are lower for poor families out of primary education. Still free education for the primary students fails to lure them to complete the circle because of timing. Most poor children have to spend the hours when they are supposed to earn something for supporting their families. Some NGO schools are running keeping this view in mind which can be taken as role models.
Masum Billah
Program Manager: BRAC Education Program
The present education policy claims greater acceptance than the previous ones due to its strong base on huge public opinion. Introducing public interest oriented and scientific education policy has been the demand for long. Again this education policy is the reflection of Kudrat-e-Khuda Education Commission which was instituted just after our independence. The government has taken steps to reorganize the curriculum from class six to twelve keeping pace with the modern knowledge, science and technology. It has announced that the students will get the books under new curriculum by 1st January 2013. By March 2012 the writing of books on new syllabus and curriculum will be completed. The Education Minister released this news at BIAM Foundation in the National Education Policy 2010 seminar organized by NCTB and SESDP. Some remarkable steps have already been taken to implement the present education policy. An implementation committee, 24 sub-committees have been formed to give it a momentum. Completion examination after class five and Junior Certificate Examination for class eight, distribution of books across the country, distribution of computer, introducing lunch in some areas of the country to retain the students in the class manifest the steps taken by the government.
The present education policy says that the subjects which are taught as general subjects should be written keeping pace with the trend and culture of the country. Again, they need to be revised, rewritten and corrected when necessary. But coordinated law is necessary to implement the policy. It needs to be passed in the parliamentary session without delay. Education as rights should be ensured for the backward people. The proposed education commission must be formed immediately. To constitute accreditation council to ensure the standard of public and private universities should be done without delay. To monitor the process chief education monitor should be employed.
The Education Minister said that the country now sees the curriculum adopted eighteen years back and implemented in 1996. Changes in the global arena, the demand in teachers and learners have taken place. So, to revise, change and extension of our curriculum is a must. The aim of our education is to equip our children to face the challenges of the 21st century and imbue them with the teachings of values, honesty, and sincerity and patriotism and to develop them as responsible and ideal citizens of the country. He added that everybody should not receive higher education, it is not necessary for all as well. Technical and vocational education is emphasized in the present education policy. To bring changes he emphasized the duration of teaching time, the dedicated and meritorious candidates to be employed in teaching profession. To establish a separate commission to select the deserving candidates for teaching profession is not moving fast. The minister informed that 75 books of secondary and four in the higher secondary level books will see change. After completing pre-primary and primary ( up to eight) a portion of students will be able to take admission in the secondary level and another portion in the vocational education. After the completion of secondary education students will have opportunity to receive vocational education or higher education. Even the vocational educators also have scope to receive higher education particularly those who are capable.
In this new curriculum from six to eight in general and madrasa English for 150 marks, Bengali 150, mathematics 100, Bangladesh and the World affairs 100, Science 100, Environment 50, ICT 50 total 700 marks. 300-400 marks will be for their own stream.In the secondary level from class nine and ten there will be Humanities, Science and Business Education groups. For each group there will be Bengal for 200 marks, English 200, Mathematics 100, Religious Education and moral education 100, ICT 50, Education, Health and Games and Sports for 100 marks and total 750 marks compulsory and 400 for their own stream.
In Eleven and twelfth grades Bengali will be taught for 200 marks, English 200, ICT 50 and Health Education and Games and Sports for 100 marks. Human qualities, morality, democratic values, discipline, patriotism, creativity, analytical capability, developing imaginative power are emphasized in all the streams and levels. The duration of class time will be increased from 35 to 50 minutes. Yearly leaves/vacations will be squeezed from 141 to 116 days. The time of SSC and HSC examinations will be lessened to utilize more time for teaching-learning purpose.
Finally for the implementation of the present education policy financing, education administration, public awareness stand as key factors which call for serious thought. At present the education field of the country sees only 2.3 percent expenditure from national income. Other developing countries of the world already have been using 6 percent of the GDP and Bangladesh promises to do it. The situation does not show any positive sign before us as we can collect only 11 percent revenue income and to spend 6 percent from it for education proves to be absurd. How far we are lagging behind in this respect can be deduced from the fact to learn that Japan used 43 percent of its GDP for education since 1906-1911. ( Samakal 21 September 2011). And where we stand after one hundred years!
Still most of the students of universities in Bangladesh belong to relatively higher economic class of society showing the opportunities are open for the higher segment of population. In respect of higher education the emphasis should be given on infrastructure building, research capacity enhancement and technological uplift. Public universities should construct safety nets of the pupils coming from poor segment of population. The private costs of primary education is high for poor families because of high opportunity costs of education and expected benefits are lower for poor families out of primary education. Still free education for the primary students fails to lure them to complete the circle because of timing. Most poor children have to spend the hours when they are supposed to earn something for supporting their families. Some NGO schools are running keeping this view in mind which can be taken as role models.
Masum Billah
Program Manager: BRAC Education Program
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Rickshawpuller's hospital
Rickshawpuller Joynal teaches us a lot
On Saturday the last page of Prothom Alo has brought out a feature on how a richshawpuller runs a hospital and school. It received my reading with tearing rolling down my checks continuously till I finished reading it. I feel constrained to let the message know the world. It’s the story of a noble man., Joynal, he is a 60 year old rickshawpuller in the streets of Dhaka and possesses a greater heart which goes unnoticed and unknown and to the metropolitan city dwellers. He is simply a rickshawpuller to the metropolitan snobs, opportunists and masked gentlemen but he is a great man in our eyes. They don’t know how great a man this city witnesses as a rickshawpuller and what a great idea he nurtures in his bosom. Who knows that the hardest earn money of Joynal is spent for the poorest segment of people for their treatment in a small hospital established by the money he earns peddling rickshaws. Dear readers please imagine what a great heart lives in his bosom!. The hospital contains six beds, a village doctor, and sees once a week a doctor from a government hospital which he manages. He gives salary to the village doctor and gives medicine to the patients free of cost. He buys medicine by his hard earned money. Not only that Joyanl runs a primary school having 120 students and he defrays all the educational expenses of the students and gives books free of cost but no government book they enjoy. He collects old books from different schools and buys some by his own money which he earns paddling rickshaws. The school sits at 10:00 a.m. Before that it runs a ‘Maktab’ to teach Arabic to the village children. Tanhasadia village of Parangonj Union under Mymensing Sadar has been proud of having such a man of broadest heart . Dear readers can you imagine what a great heart does Mr. Joyanl posses! Doesn’t he deserve salute from us?
This mundane and complicated world shapes us just to remain busy with our own thoughts and interest, gain personal ends and think of our future but Joynal who didn’t embrace the opportunity to receive institutional education. The higher educated individuals who receive higher degrees from state-run institutions and what they return the nation ? We fail to compare this unknown man with the so-called educated, higher educated, so-called public leaders and social workers. Many of us possess palatial houses in the city but heart suffers from poverty. They hardly think of doing anything for the ailing humanity. They rather try to steal the wealth of the poor by a stroke of the pen. They take pleasure to give pain to the poor. Even, the people who have been engaged by state to give service to the countrymen just seek foul means to trap the illiterate and common people and extract monetary gains utilizing all sorts of unfair means. Higher education have failed to teach them any humanity. But Joynal had no institutional education but serious concern and dedicated commitments to the nation, to the humanity and to the neglected segment. I want to say he is simply a great man whom we don’t know. The so-called developed and civilized society doesn’t know him and don’t know how to honour him. How he has nurtured the hope of establishing a hospital and giving free medicine to the poor villagers and engaging there his wife, daughter in-law, grandfather simply make us ashamed. What is our commitment to the nation and what we are doing? He earns 500-700 taka per day pulling rickshaws at the age of sixty. He pulls rickshaws three or four days a week and spends most of the money for buying medicine for his hospital. He goes to his village, remain there for two or three days and again comes to Dhaka to earn for running the hospital and school. As he does not have any other skill to earn money, he has materialized his dream and given the shape of his nurturing hope to dedicate himself to the real welfare of the real poor by peddling rickshaws. How great he is! This heartless Dhaka city and the thankless society cannot measure how unfathomable his nobleness and broadness of heart is! May I request the Director of BRAC Health Program to extend our health facilities to Mamtaz Hospital and give encouragement to Joynal?
His father died without treatment and medicine which taught him to do something for the poor. Extreme poverty did not give him any opportunity to be familiar with alphabets and words but the heart he has developed cannot be measured by the traditional values of the society where everybody is vying for material gain and individual publicity. He is the most literate; he is the most enlightened person in the society. A small two-shed house is his school and Maktab. In the morning children of the village learn Arabic and from 10:00 am the school starts. The school is from grade one to three. Ayub Ali, a SSC passed young man is the teacher of that school. Out of 120 students 70 of them are girls. This illiterate Joybnal highly evaluates girls’ education which the world leaders think and started giving priority above many things. I request the Director of BRAC Education Program to see whether we can do something for this great and noble hearted Joynal. He contributes tremendously to the education of the country, may be, in a small scale but the effort, dedication, genuineness’ and sincerity he has employed cannot be fathomed by traditional tools of measurement. . Students are given free books and education materials which he collects from other schools .How innovative his ideas are! After passing class three students get enrolled in Sirta-Naya Para government school and Foliamary Registered Primary School. This noble and high level thought of Joynal matches with the Education Program of BRAC which thinks of the education of the vulnerable section along with other interventions to stand beside the poor and helpless.
Poor Joynal is originally the richest person as he habrours a broader heart. His broad smile says so. This is his greatest satisfaction that his honest labour and toil go for the welfare of ailing people . I salute you Joybal thousand times.
Joynal toiled twenty years in the city and opened a DPS account to fulfill his dream but he was neglected and criticized by the bank managers. However, one manager of Sonali Bank gave value of is dream and concern. She helped him open two DPS accounts which produced him one lac eighty four thousand taka. He came back to his village with that money and bought a small piece of land for 40 thousand taka and established a 25 feet long tin-shed house for hospital. Even the village people criticized him to learn his plan. Now 25-30 patients come to his hospital every day. One room is for sitting the patients and doctor, another room for distributing medicine and another room accommodates six beds. Mohammad Ali, the doctor gets Tk 1500 per month. Patients come to the hospital with fever, diarrhea, cold, cough, stomach pain, pregnancy problem, injury. His wife helps giving birth to normal child in the hospital as she has got some lesson working in a hospital in Dhaka. Every Thursday Hefzul Bari, chest physician of Mymensingh Sadar Hospital comes here. The hospital is named after his daughter Mamtaz . His granddaughter Alpana writes the description of the disease, his son’s wife Tamanna distributes medicine. Joynal himself talks to the patients personally whenever he gets time.
After the publication of the report many readers and individuals and organizations have already responded to extend their help and cooperation to Joyanl for his noble endevour. By the active and prompt initiative of Prothom ALo a trust has already been opened named ‘ Prothom Alo/ Mamtaz Hosptial ‘ Account number 2071007959. Thanks to Prothom Alo. You have done the genuine service of media. Who bother about the poor actually? Everybody is ready to add more oil to the already oily head. I request Hanif Sanket to bring Joynal to his popular magazine ‘ Ittadi’ and make him acquainted with the world. The national and international organizations dedicated to the service of poor humanity are entreated to stand beside this great man. We believe the noble and sincere endevour of Joynal will not perish. Definitely God will stand beside him to materialize his dream to give us a lesson. Again I salute Joynal. Go on.
Md. Masum Billah . Email: mmbillah2000@yahoo.com
On Saturday the last page of Prothom Alo has brought out a feature on how a richshawpuller runs a hospital and school. It received my reading with tearing rolling down my checks continuously till I finished reading it. I feel constrained to let the message know the world. It’s the story of a noble man., Joynal, he is a 60 year old rickshawpuller in the streets of Dhaka and possesses a greater heart which goes unnoticed and unknown and to the metropolitan city dwellers. He is simply a rickshawpuller to the metropolitan snobs, opportunists and masked gentlemen but he is a great man in our eyes. They don’t know how great a man this city witnesses as a rickshawpuller and what a great idea he nurtures in his bosom. Who knows that the hardest earn money of Joynal is spent for the poorest segment of people for their treatment in a small hospital established by the money he earns peddling rickshaws. Dear readers please imagine what a great heart lives in his bosom!. The hospital contains six beds, a village doctor, and sees once a week a doctor from a government hospital which he manages. He gives salary to the village doctor and gives medicine to the patients free of cost. He buys medicine by his hard earned money. Not only that Joyanl runs a primary school having 120 students and he defrays all the educational expenses of the students and gives books free of cost but no government book they enjoy. He collects old books from different schools and buys some by his own money which he earns paddling rickshaws. The school sits at 10:00 a.m. Before that it runs a ‘Maktab’ to teach Arabic to the village children. Tanhasadia village of Parangonj Union under Mymensing Sadar has been proud of having such a man of broadest heart . Dear readers can you imagine what a great heart does Mr. Joyanl posses! Doesn’t he deserve salute from us?
This mundane and complicated world shapes us just to remain busy with our own thoughts and interest, gain personal ends and think of our future but Joynal who didn’t embrace the opportunity to receive institutional education. The higher educated individuals who receive higher degrees from state-run institutions and what they return the nation ? We fail to compare this unknown man with the so-called educated, higher educated, so-called public leaders and social workers. Many of us possess palatial houses in the city but heart suffers from poverty. They hardly think of doing anything for the ailing humanity. They rather try to steal the wealth of the poor by a stroke of the pen. They take pleasure to give pain to the poor. Even, the people who have been engaged by state to give service to the countrymen just seek foul means to trap the illiterate and common people and extract monetary gains utilizing all sorts of unfair means. Higher education have failed to teach them any humanity. But Joynal had no institutional education but serious concern and dedicated commitments to the nation, to the humanity and to the neglected segment. I want to say he is simply a great man whom we don’t know. The so-called developed and civilized society doesn’t know him and don’t know how to honour him. How he has nurtured the hope of establishing a hospital and giving free medicine to the poor villagers and engaging there his wife, daughter in-law, grandfather simply make us ashamed. What is our commitment to the nation and what we are doing? He earns 500-700 taka per day pulling rickshaws at the age of sixty. He pulls rickshaws three or four days a week and spends most of the money for buying medicine for his hospital. He goes to his village, remain there for two or three days and again comes to Dhaka to earn for running the hospital and school. As he does not have any other skill to earn money, he has materialized his dream and given the shape of his nurturing hope to dedicate himself to the real welfare of the real poor by peddling rickshaws. How great he is! This heartless Dhaka city and the thankless society cannot measure how unfathomable his nobleness and broadness of heart is! May I request the Director of BRAC Health Program to extend our health facilities to Mamtaz Hospital and give encouragement to Joynal?
His father died without treatment and medicine which taught him to do something for the poor. Extreme poverty did not give him any opportunity to be familiar with alphabets and words but the heart he has developed cannot be measured by the traditional values of the society where everybody is vying for material gain and individual publicity. He is the most literate; he is the most enlightened person in the society. A small two-shed house is his school and Maktab. In the morning children of the village learn Arabic and from 10:00 am the school starts. The school is from grade one to three. Ayub Ali, a SSC passed young man is the teacher of that school. Out of 120 students 70 of them are girls. This illiterate Joybnal highly evaluates girls’ education which the world leaders think and started giving priority above many things. I request the Director of BRAC Education Program to see whether we can do something for this great and noble hearted Joynal. He contributes tremendously to the education of the country, may be, in a small scale but the effort, dedication, genuineness’ and sincerity he has employed cannot be fathomed by traditional tools of measurement. . Students are given free books and education materials which he collects from other schools .How innovative his ideas are! After passing class three students get enrolled in Sirta-Naya Para government school and Foliamary Registered Primary School. This noble and high level thought of Joynal matches with the Education Program of BRAC which thinks of the education of the vulnerable section along with other interventions to stand beside the poor and helpless.
Poor Joynal is originally the richest person as he habrours a broader heart. His broad smile says so. This is his greatest satisfaction that his honest labour and toil go for the welfare of ailing people . I salute you Joybal thousand times.
Joynal toiled twenty years in the city and opened a DPS account to fulfill his dream but he was neglected and criticized by the bank managers. However, one manager of Sonali Bank gave value of is dream and concern. She helped him open two DPS accounts which produced him one lac eighty four thousand taka. He came back to his village with that money and bought a small piece of land for 40 thousand taka and established a 25 feet long tin-shed house for hospital. Even the village people criticized him to learn his plan. Now 25-30 patients come to his hospital every day. One room is for sitting the patients and doctor, another room for distributing medicine and another room accommodates six beds. Mohammad Ali, the doctor gets Tk 1500 per month. Patients come to the hospital with fever, diarrhea, cold, cough, stomach pain, pregnancy problem, injury. His wife helps giving birth to normal child in the hospital as she has got some lesson working in a hospital in Dhaka. Every Thursday Hefzul Bari, chest physician of Mymensingh Sadar Hospital comes here. The hospital is named after his daughter Mamtaz . His granddaughter Alpana writes the description of the disease, his son’s wife Tamanna distributes medicine. Joynal himself talks to the patients personally whenever he gets time.
After the publication of the report many readers and individuals and organizations have already responded to extend their help and cooperation to Joyanl for his noble endevour. By the active and prompt initiative of Prothom ALo a trust has already been opened named ‘ Prothom Alo/ Mamtaz Hosptial ‘ Account number 2071007959. Thanks to Prothom Alo. You have done the genuine service of media. Who bother about the poor actually? Everybody is ready to add more oil to the already oily head. I request Hanif Sanket to bring Joynal to his popular magazine ‘ Ittadi’ and make him acquainted with the world. The national and international organizations dedicated to the service of poor humanity are entreated to stand beside this great man. We believe the noble and sincere endevour of Joynal will not perish. Definitely God will stand beside him to materialize his dream to give us a lesson. Again I salute Joynal. Go on.
Md. Masum Billah . Email: mmbillah2000@yahoo.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
