PM declares raising teachers' status

The status of government primary school headmasters has been upgraded from grade III to II, announced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday while inaugurating National Primary Education Week-2014 in the capital's Osmani Memorial Auditorium.
She said her government targeted extending free primary education up to class eight and making it mandatory for all children in light with her party's election pledges.
Terming children as invaluable assets of the nation, she said the government was putting the highest priority on ensuring quality education for them, and would do whatever necessary in this regard.
To continue the stipend programmes for female education is another election pledge of the government, Hasina said adding that it has approved a project for implementing the non-formal education programme for elderly people to achieve the 100 percent literacy target.
Besides, the PM said, the government is providing free textbooks up to secondary level students on the first day of the year and almost cent percent enrollment in Primary schools were ensured.
She said a total of 79 lakh primary students, 4 lakh secondary level students and 1.33 lakh students from higher secondary to degree level are getting government stipends.
Prime Minister's Education Assistance Trust Fund has been constituted with Tk 1,000 crore seed money to help the poor and meritorious students to continue their studies.