Feature

“English in Schools” programme launched

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid is flanked by Jefry Ahmad Tambi (left) & Mahfuz Anam (right)

The MOU signing ceremony for the project 'English in Schools (EIS)' was held between AKTEL and The Daily Star on February 04, 2009.

THE Daily Star and Aktel jointly announced the launching of EIS 'English in Schools' to promote English learning for the students of district and upazila level schools of Bangladesh. The MoU signing ceremony took place at a local convention centre on Wednesday, February 4, 2009 where Mr. Mahfuz Anam, Editor and Publisher of The Daily Star and Mr. Jefry Ahmad Tambi, CEO and MD of AKTEL signed the MoU on behalf of their respected organisations. Honorable Minister of Education Mr. Nurul Islam Nahid was present at the MoU signing ceremony as the chief guest. Several renowned educationists, ambassadors, and dignitaries were also present at the ceremony.

Under this project 1000 Secondary schools have been selected from across the country covering all 64 districts. Each school will be delivered 3 copies of The Daily Star everyday, 5 days a week, free of cost to encourage the habit of reading English. Moreover, there will be a weekly full-page English learning materials, which both students and teachers will be encouraged to use inside and outside the classrooms. Under this programme there will be regular events, competitions and activities on spelling, vocabulary, quiz, puzzles, book reading etc to help develop English language skills of the students.

In his welcome speech, Mr. Mahfuz Anam stressed his whole hearted support to young students in learning English. “The Daily Star would continue to work with various governmental and private entities in every way possible to make English accessible up to the rural level”.

Addressing this forum Prof. Abdullah Abu Sayeed, founder of Biswa Sahitya Kendra, focused on the importance of learning more than one language. Along with the importance of learning mother tongue Bangla, he emphasised the necessity of learning English for the young students of the country. He also shared some of his own experiences with interesting anecdotes.

Education Minister expressed his satisfaction seeing the private sector initiative in enhancing the practice of key global language English among the secondary students of the country. He was also happy to learn that Aktel-The Daily Star EIS programme was launched targeting 1000 secondary schools across the country which is a great leap forward. He assured his support from his ministry in every way possible.

Aktel CEO and Managing Director Mr. Jefri Ahmad Tambi said Aktel being a responsible corporate house of the country has joined the initiative with The Daily Star to promote English in district and upazila schools.

As part of Aktel's long-term support to Bangladesh to become a prosperous nation he believed English in Schools Programme is going to be the most beneficial for the nation.

The programme concluded with a vote of thanks from Mr. Bidyut Basu, the CCO of Aktel.

Both The Daily Star and Aktel believe that this project will significantly address the need of English learning opportunities for students and thus expect whole hearted support from all the stakeholders.

“The government will modernise the Shamsul Huq Education Commission Report 2000 which was prepared in line with the Qudrat-e-Khuda Education Commission Report, and will formulate an education policy very soon,” he said.
The minister for the first time after his assumption of office exchanged views with a number of educationists, noted professors, vice-chancellors of some private and public universities in his office.

“We will try to send all the children to schools. We will introduce a primary education, which is now offered in 11 streams. Several projects were undertaken for education, but we have no assessment of the state of failure,” he added.

Educationist Professor Serajul Islam Choudhury said the government should cancel the much-talked- about uni-track education system instead of putting it off every year. He also recommended the government should introduce education through mother tongue.

“The government should take steps to involve guardians in the education system from primary to tertiary level. Compulsory religious instructions for secondary students should also be cancelled, “ he stressed. Subscribing to Serajul Islam's views, Professor Muhammad Zafar Iqbal said the government should introduce a unified curriculum for secondary students and bring madrassah and technical education under the same curriculum. He commented, “The Awami League-led government should adopt the recommendations of the Qudrat-e-Khuda Commission. What the BNP government wanted to implement in the name of unified curriculum should be cancelled for ever,” he said. ICT expert Mostafa Jabbar said the government should make ICT education compulsory from Class VI. The University Grants Commission chairman, Nazrul Islam, Professor Mustafa Nurul Islam, former Dhaka University professor Ajay Roy, BRAC University vice-chancellor Jamilur Reza Choudhury, North South University vice-chancellor Hafiz GA Siddique, and Open University professor Momtaj Uddin Patwari also shared their views.

Source: The Daily Star