The Shishu Bikash Gobeshona Kendra (Child Development Research Centre' (CDRC) recruits 25 children up to five every year.

The curriculum is different from traditional primary schools. The children also learn about nutrition, cleanliness and sanitation at the school.

One special feature is that the children learn these things while playing, without use of any book. They have also recreation facilities.

The unique institution at Kazoli village in Sreepur upazila, 25 km off the district town, was set up in 2003 by the Research Initiatives, Bangladesh, a Dhaka-base NGO.

Parents do not have to spend any money for their children, who go to the school from villages nearby.

Sorts, cultural and recreational activities are routine programmes along with academic teaching with the help of pictures.

The institution has earned reputation in the district within two years.

Dipali Sarker, headmistress of the school, is called didi moni (elder sister) by her students. She teaches them with a mother's affection.

"We teach pre-primary students with pictures while in any other schools they are taught with alphabets", said Dipali who is working with CDRC as a researcher and a teacher. The teaching style is different from other schools, CDRC officials also said.

Talking to The Daily Star, Chief Research Officer of CDRC Bashir Ahmed said, "We are doing research to see whether pre-primary students can be taught without using cane and books".

The children stay at school from 8-30 am to 12-30 pm. After lessons at the classroom and games, the students are served vegetable hotchpotch and taught about nutrition.