Basic Literacy Project brings no fruitful outcome

Basic Literacy Project (64 Districts) run by the Bureau of Non-formal Education (BNFE) under Primary and Mass Education Ministry did not bring any fruitful results in two upazilas of the district due to alleged irregularities and corruption.

Although the government has allocated Tk 2,62,68,000 for educating to 54,000 illiterate people at 600 centres in Aditmari and Hatibandha upazilas, most of the centres have only signboards, no activities.

Head teacher Rasheda Begum of Saptibari Government Primary School in Aditmari upazila said although her school is used as a centre of Basic Literacy Project, she didn’t see any activities except a signboard there.

Shamsul Haque, founder of Manosika School at Khatapara village in upazila, said there is signboard of Basic Literacy Project at the institution, but he didn’t see any students, teachers or officials attending the centre.

Farm labourer Meher Ali, 48, of Bisondai village in Hatibandha upazila said he saw a signboard of Basic Literacy Project in front of a tin-shed room which is being use as tobacco warehouse.

“I was enlisted for the basic literacy programme, but I stopped going to the centre as I didn’t find any teacher there,” rickshaw puller Hazrat Ali, 46, of Balapukur village said.

“I didn’t receive any education at the basic literacy centre as it always remain closed,” Rahima Begum, 38, of Saralkhan village said.

Mahidul Islam, a teacher of the basic literacy centre at Dawabari village in Hatibandha upazila, said he attends the centre regularly but learners show very little interest in learning.

They get only Tk 2,400 as monthly salary, he added.

Officials at Non-formal Education Bureau in Lalmonirhat said the basic literacy centres were running in two shifts, day-shift for females and night-shift for the males.

For the first phase, 30 illiterate people were enlisted for each shift at every centre and it was a six-month project that ended in June this year.

T k 43,780, including Tk 28,800 as salaries of teachers and Tk 14,980 for education accessories and NGOs service charges, were allocated for each centre, they said, adding that two local NGOs--Own Village Advancement (OVA) and Arshinagar--got the contract to monitor the project.

Programme Officer of Basic Literacy Project (64 Districts) in Aditmari Shafique Hasan said some centres faced serious difficulties as local illiterate people didn’t show any interest.

Rezaul Islam, acting executive director of OVA, said NGOs were contracted for supplying education accessories only, but the centres were monitored by the project officials.

Saidur Rahman, assistant director of Non-formal Education Bureau in Lalmonirhat, said they faced some troubles in implementing the first-phase of the basic literacy project, but hope the second-phase will be implemented properly.