<i>Good results rarely make them happy</i>

Good results in the SSC and HSC examinations seemingly fail to make happy the students from Dalit (lower caste) community, as they fear that severe financial constraint will stand in the way of their education.
At a reception programme arranged for the successful Dalit students in this year's SSC and HSC examinations, the guardians and students from the community yesterday sought assistance of the government and non-government bodies for their further education.
Government initiative alongside the NGOs' is essential to help the children from the community to pursue studies for a better future, said speakers at the programme at Women's Volunteer Association auditorium in Dhanmondi in the capital.
Bangladesh Dalits Human Rights, Dalit Youth Forum and Nagorik Udyog jointly arranged the programme to award reception to 38 students for their results in SSC and HSC.
Many of the guardians, mostly unaware of the need for education, have already asked their children to stop studies while the underprivileged children, like others of their age, want to continue education until at least graduation in subjects like business administration or computer engineering.
Kanya Kumari Kona, who passed this year's HSC examinations from Dhaka Commerce College and nourishes a dream to study in business administration, was a participant at the reception programme. She broke down in tears, expressing fear that she would not be able to go for higher education.
“My parents did not even imagine that I would pass the HSC examinations. Now I am receiving an award for my results. I wish I could study business administration at a public university. This is my dream but I fear I would not be able to do it,” said Kona.
“My father who is a guard in a city hospital fears that he would not be able to bear my academic expenses, be it at a public or private university,” said the girl who had to borrow money to enrol in the college.
“Only God knows how I have come to this stage. My friends did not help me with notes, suggestions or even textbooks and I could not afford private tutor or coaching,” she said.
Similarly, Raju, Jyoti and Emon Chandra Das, who passed the SSC examinations with GPA A-, GPA A- and GPA B, said financial problem may force them to discontinue education.
“Only guardians of our community know how they managed educational expenses for their children, after meeting everyday expenses of their family. Most of them even do not know why education is important,” said Mony Rani, a guardian.
“The universities could introduce quota system offering an opportunity to the Dalit community students for higher education,” said Dr Farzana Islam, professor of the Department of Anthropology at Jahangirnagar University.
“From their own position, any individual or organisation can contribute to the struggle the children from the Dalit community are waging to change their social position and stop social and state exploitation of them,” she added.
Zakir Hossain, chief executive director of Nagorik Udyog, and Prohlad Sarker, general secretary of Bangladesh Dalits Human Rights, were present among others at the meeting.
The word 'Dalit' means poor and oppressed people in society.