Learning letters on International Mother Language Day

An elderly woman helps a child write her first Bangla letters. Photo: STAR

Three/four year olds Adiba Ahad Aurthi, Soumik Shah, Rubaiya Sultana Ria, Nupur and 30 other children wrote Bangla alphabets for the first time at a 'Haate Khari' (initiation to education) programme held at Shaheed Shadhan Sangeet Mahabidyalay in Pabna on Thursday marking the International Mother Language Day.
Gonoshilpi Shongstha Pabna (GSP), a leading cultural organisation of the district, arranged the special event for children below school-going age to mark the International Mother Language Day like previous years.
Retired school teachers Md. Khalilur Rahman and JA Sufia Begum instructed the little ones on how to write Bangla alphabets.
A discussion was held on the occasion, chaired by president of GSP Professor Shibojit Nag. Among others, Advocate Golam Hasnayen; Advocate Shahjahan Mondol; secretary to the organization, Moshfeka Jahan Konika; teachers Khalilur Rahman and Sufia Begum spoke on the occasion.
The speakers talked about a time when parents initiated 'Haate Khari' to start formal education of their children. Traditional festivals such as this are fading away into oblivion due to the influence of modern education system, they said.
The speakers stressed on the need to teach mother language at the beginning of education. Without sufficient knowledge of our mother language we will not be able to move ahead. We have to guide our children to first learn the mother tongue, the speakers said.
On the historic day of Amor Ekushey (February 21), the children embarked happily on their journey in education with 'Haate Khari' and so were their parents.
Talking to The Daily Star, educationists Khalilur Rahman and Sufia Begum said that the children are to be educated in the mother tongue at the beginning of the education. They got the first lessons of Bangla alphabet so they would be interested to learn their mother tongue at the beginning of their academic carrier.
President of Gonoshilpi Shongstha Pabna, Shibojit Nag, said the children aged from three to four participated in the programme. This is the fifth consecutive year of arranging this special event marking the International Mother Language Day, he said, adding that 30 children of the district headquarter got the first lesson of Bangla alphabet on the occasion.