PM Sheikh Hasina asks for supporting schools with digital equipments

The prime minister said the government has laid importance to provide students with computer education from primary level as primary school is the basis of education. In view of this, the government has given multimedia projectors in 1,500 schools and laptop in 5,000 schools, she said.

"The government alone cannot do everything. It's a huge task to provide digital equipment to every 63,601 schools in the country," she said urging the former students and affluent section of people to come up with the support to have multimedia, laptop and other computer accessories in their schools.

Multimedia classroom would make easy for students to know and understand about a thing as well as learning a subject, she said adding it's not a difficult task at all to make at least one multimedia classroom in a school.

The prime minister said this while inaugurating interactive multimedia digital content for primary education at a function at her Tejgaon office here on Sunday.

Sheikh Hasina said today's children are the country's future. We want to build up our future leaders able to lead the country at global arena. "As an independent nation we will not bow to other and we will live keeping our head high," she said adding "every children must have the self determination and always have to keep this in mind."

Under the programme Information and Communication Technology division has made digital version of 17 textbooks of primary education with the technical support of non-government development organization BRAC and Save the Children.

On the occasion a documentary was presented on digital contents for primary school students while two primary school teachers gave demonstration on interactive multimedia version of 'Bangla', 'Bangladesh Parichaya' and English subjects.

Minister for Primary and Mass Education Mostafizur Rahman, State minister for Information and communication technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak and Chairman of BRAC Sir Fazle Hasan Abed addressed the function.

Secretary of Primary and Mass Education Humayun Khalid, Regional Director of Save the Children Michael McGrath and Secretary of the Minister of Information and Communication Technology Shyamsundar Sikder also spoke on the occasion.

The prime minister website where the contents are available. State minister for Information and Communication Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak handed over the CD of the digital contents to the Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina extended her thanks to the developers of the digital contents for primary school as well their collaborators saying, "it has fulfilled one of our long cherished dream to introduce multimedia education in schools."

Sheikh Hasina said her government has gone through a difficult situation while commencing the vision of Digital Bangladesh. Many people used to make mockery with the terminology of "digital" as outage of electricity was frequent.

"Now those people are mostly enjoying the facilities of digitalization and now nobody can fun, laugh or tease with the 'terminology as the countrymen over the years has witnessed real progress of digitalization," she noted.

Sheikh Hasina said her government after coming to power in 1996 had undertaken some programmes which led to increase the literacy rate to 65 percent from 45 percent. But the growth rate could not be maintained as Awami League could not come to power in 2001.

Sheikh Hasina said her government has been making stride to make primary education more effective, useful and modern. In view of this, she said, the primary school of one classroom were upgraded to three classroom.

The Awami League government after coming to power in 2009 had taken steps for increasing the proportion of female teachers to 60 percent in primary schools as they deliver lesson with motherly affection. The government also taken steps for elevating the status of the teachers.

She recalled that Father of the Nation made the primary education compulsory for every child. Despite financial constrain he nationalized 35,000 primary schools and the Awami League government in 2010 nationalized more 26,000 primary schools. "In between no government nationalized any primary school," she lamented.

The prime minister said her government has given importance to expansion of education as well as imparting technological education to the student. "Government steps helped increasing enrollment of students in science education," she said.

Pointing out her government's steps for reducing the price of computers the prime minister said the reduction of computer price and its accessories has made the computer education available in the country.

Sheikh Hasina said her government wants to open the scope of modern technological education for rural students. The mission has been stipulated in the new education policy.

The prime minister said the present generation is brilliant than their predecessors. "So we have to create scope for them to flourish their talent," she said.

Photo: Saiful Islam Kallol