Give special attention to teach students about right and wrong: PM Sheikh Hasina to teachers

“You have to give special attention to educate the children about what is right and what is wrong. You have to provide them with the knowledge so that they can judge what is just, and what is unjust. And you have to infuse the spirit of patriotism in them to nourish them as real citizen,” she said while inaugurating the ‘National Primary Education Week-2016’ at a function at Osmani Memorial Hall in the capital on Thursday.

The prime minister said: “Teaching is a great profession. We still respect our teachers for the ideals which we have from them during our childhood. Your guidance and teaching are very essential to save them from the drug and militancy.”

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh would be completely free from illiteracy within a very short time due to her government’s constant stride since its inception in office in 2009 at a ccost of Tk452 crore. The initiative was delayed as BNP-Jammat had shelved a ‘district-based’ project undertaken by Awami League government in its first stint from 1996-2001.

“Multifaceted programmes of our government including free distribution of textbooks, mid-day meal, school uniform and stipend helped increasing the literacy rate to 7% at present, and very shortly it would be hundred percent,” she said adding “We want each and every children would happily go to school.”

Minister for Primary and mass Education Mostafizur Rahman presided over the function while chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on Ministry of Primary and Mass Education Motahar Hossain was present as special guest.

Secretary of the ministry M Humayun Khalid and Director General of Department of Primary Education Mohamad Alamgir also spoke on the occasion.

School dropout rate was 50.5% during the regime of BNP-Jamaat which declined to 20.4% during the tenure of the present government, she said adding the government has already introduced mid-day meal for 29 lakh students in 96 poverty-ridden upazilas. “The school feeding system would be expanded in other upazilas with the help of local generous people,” she said.

The prime minister said her government has upgraded the position of head teachers from grades-three to grade two. Under the new pay scale, she announced that process is going on for elevating the salary structure of the assistant teachers’ one step forward.