Government Wants To Spread Scopes And Facilities Of Education Among All: PM

"We want to spread scopes and facilities of education among all. We want well-efficient, patriotic and creative new generation having modern education and values," she said.

To achieve the goal, she added, the government has reorganized the education system by keeping pace with the world and is implementing it by framing a time-befitting education policy.

The Prime Minister said this while handing over awards among the best talents of the "Creative Talent Hunt Competition- 2014"at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre here this morning.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid chaired the function,while Education Secretary Dr Mohammad Sadiq and Director General of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Directorate Professor Fahima Khatun spoke on the occasion.

Of the best 12 talents, Aditi Barua and Al Muhith Muhtadi also spoke expressing their feelings about getting awards.

At the function, the Prime Minister handed over a medal,certificate and a cheque for Taka one lakh to each of the best 12 talents.

The talents are Siratal Mostakim Sraboni of RAJUK Uttara Model School, Dhaka, Anika Tabassum of Holy Cross Girls High School, Dhaka, Pushpita Biswas of KAFCO School and College, Chittagong, Al Muhith Muhtadi of Pirganj Government High School,Rangpur, Abrar Promiti Mallik of Narail Government Girls High School, Fahima Sultana of Zinjira Peer Mohammad Pilot High School, Dhaka, Zubair Rahman Nirjhor of Annada Government High School, Afia Anjum Zaman Zeba of Kushtia Government Girls High School, Aditi Barua of Holy Cross College, Dhaka, Shahzadi Nawreen Haque of Fazilatunnesa Government Girls College, Barisal, Fahim Shahriar Swakkhor of Notre Dame College, Dhaka and Sumaiya Islam of Dhaka Cantonment Girls Public College.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid later handed over a medal, certificate and prize bonds of Taka 5000 to each of 84 best talents who were selected at upazila, district and divisional levels.

The Education Ministry selected 12 best talents at the national out of 96 talents who were adjudged best at upazila, district and divisional levels. Over two lakh students from across the country took part in the "Creative Talent Hunt Competition-2014".

Pointing out that an epoch-making change in expansion and development of education took place in the last five years, the Prime Minister said that her government always gives utmost importance to the education.

"Our aim is to build a hunger and poverty-free developed and prosperous Bangladesh and I think that only education is the only way which could take the nation to its cherished goal," she said.

Mentioning that an enlightened person could take the society and country to right track, the Prime Minister called on the policymakers, teachers and guardians to be attentive so that the children get this scope.

Sheikh Hasina said the new generation must have feelings of pride generation after generation for the victorious nation which achieved independence through the War of Liberation.

She expressed her firm belief that the nation, which earned independence through war, must move forward. "We can never lag behind, as we did not get independence all of a sudden," she said.

She said: "We must go ahead with that thinking and we--the senior citizens--will have to create a field for thinking for new generation."

She said Bangladesh Awami League is making those efforts as the nation snatched the hard- earned independence under its leadership.

"Our aim is to take the nation forward further and build the new generation in such a way that none could play ducks and drakes with the fate of the people and all the people get the light of education," she said.

Sheikh Hasina urged the new generation to learn the correct history of the nation, saying that the knowledge of true history shows a right path to the country. "The distorted history builds children in a wrong way," she observed.

The Prime Minister said there is a need of creative and talented leaders and there is a need for creative talented people for accomplishing right works in all areas including education, literature, culture, politics, economics, science and technology.

She said the "Creative Talent Hunt-2014" has been completed with huge enthusiasm and festivity.

She said about 7,000 meritorious students selected at upazila, district, division and national levels were given prizes and certificates. "Twelve talents were selected at upazila, district and divisional levels each and at last, 12 best talents were selected at the national level," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said this talent hunt competition would show the country's juveniles and youths a fresh dream. "Successful people of different professions including statesmen, scientists, litterateurs, mathematicians, philosophers, IT experts and physicians would come out from them and they will be bloomed with their own talent," she said.

The Prime Minister said the National Education Policy-2010 has given special importance to flourishing of creativity for the students.

"The creative talent hunt is an important part for execution of the National Education Policy," she said, congratulating those all who have been selected best in the Creative Talent Hunt Competition.

She also congratulated the Education Ministry and all concerned for completing the competition successfully.

Sheikh Hasina said her government has been working tirelessly to remove education disparity between the rural and urban areas. "The Creative Talent Hunt Programme from the grassroots level to national level would play a supportive role in achieving the goal," she said.

Spelling out her government's stunning success in education sector, the Prime Minister said the aim of the government is to build Bangladesh a middle-income country by 2021.

"We have a firm belief that we could achieve the goal much before of 2021 as we have taken initiative for modernization of the education system by making it time-befitting," she said.

Despite economic constraints, Sheikh Hasina said, 92 crore textbooks were distributed among the primary and secondary students in the last five years. "In the current year, we distributed 31.19 crore textbooks among the students," she said.

The Prime Minister said the government provided stipends to 1.60 crore poor students in the last five years, while multimedia classrooms have been set up in 20,500 educational institutions.

She said other steps her government has taken for development of education included giving training to over five lakh teachers, construction of infrastructure of seven thousand educational institutions, modernization of technical and madrasa education and giving status of class two gazetted officials to the assistant teachers.

Besides, she said, honours course has been introduced in 35 madrasas and programmes for setting up 310 model schools are being implemented. "Four public universities were established, while an approval for setting up 17 private universities has been given," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said the work on setting up 11 government schools and six government colleges is going on at faster pace.

Referring to 92/93 percent pass rate in the this year's SSC exams, the Prime Minister said she is not satisfied with the results. "I have asked the Education Ministry though not cent percent, at least 98/99 percent examinees could pass in the next examination," she said.

The Prime Minister told the children to practice games and sports and culture and build a reading habit of book side by side with pursuing study. "You are the future leaders and you must keep a book with you round-the-clock," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said she tries to read books whenever she gets time. "Despite this old age of mine, I read books whenever I get time....I find out time to read books despite my busy schedule. I don't feel good if I could not read books," she said.

In this connection, Sheikh Hasina urged the teachers and guardians to make efforts to build a reading habit for the children from their childhood.