Model schools in 306 upazilas
The government has taken up a Tk 465.77 crore project to convert 306 non-government high schools into model institutions with one each in the upazilas having no public high school now.
The schools which now get government funds under its Monthly Payment Order (MPO) will come under the project to be implemented by fiscal 2013. And 100 of these schools will be converted this fiscal year, official sources said.
The project titled "Transformation of existing non-government schools into model schools in 306 selected upazilas" is aimed at minimising the wide urban-rural gap in the quality of education by ensuring standard education for the rural students.
There are 74 lakh students of high schools in the country with two-thirds of them in rural parts. The new project will benefit at least two lakh students.
The country now has 317 public high schools with limited seats.
The Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) has already finalised a list of 306 schools based on their reputation, results, location and state of school management, said KM Rafiqul Islam, the project director.
Each of the schools under the project will get computer laboratories, 10 computers, accessories and one xerox machine, furniture worth around Tk 5 lakh; books worth around Tk 1 lakh, science equipment of Tk 2 lakh, and sports goods of Tk 50,000.
In addition to physical facilities like buildings, new classrooms, repair, renovation and extension of the schools, more teachers having master's degree would be recruited and teaching aids would be provided. More than Tk 1.40 crore each will be spent for schools.
"We want to ensure one teacher for 40 students in these schools," Rafiqul Islam said.
Besides, resource centres in nine regions of the DSHE will be developed under the project for teachers' training.
Education ministry sources said the project was initiated by the immediate past caretaker government. But it got stuck up due to bureaucratic tangles.
The present government resumed the project.
Contacted, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid expressed the hope that the project would have a positive impact on the overall standard of education.
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