Education system must ensure learning with joy: PM Sheikh Hasina

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday said her government wants to develop an education system in the country so that the students can pursue their studies with interest and joy.

“There should be an education system so that students can pursue study with interest, there would be no need to ask them repeatedly to study rather they would do it on their own and they have such desire. We want to develop this system,” she said.

The premier said this while inaugurating the distribution of stipends, tuition fees and awards among insolvent and meritorious students at a programme in the city’s Osmani Memorial Auditorium.

She opened the distribution of stipends and tuition fees among the insolvent and meritorious students from the secondary-graduation (pass) and its equivalent-level.

In the event, the PM also conferred the awards to the most talented students of Bangabandhu Srijanshil Medha Onneshan-2024 (Bangabandhu Creative Talent Search-2024) and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Scholar Award-2023.

Hasina said her government modified textbooks and syllabus, and took initiative for a creative education system in a bid to keep pace with the changing world.

She said the government wants to go for a system where there’ll be learning amid a joyful atmosphere.

The PM said many people say many things when a change comes. Some people become happy if they can criticise (any change) on social media in this Digital Bangladesh, she said.

“We, Bengalis, also love to gossip very much…..A person writes (on social media) whatever he or she thinks,” she added.

She asked the education minister to carry out the responsiblity with confidence, not paying heed to unconstructive criticism.

“I don’t believe that a person should be scared if someone criticises a little bit. Rather self-esteem and self-confidence give strenght to the people,” she said.

Pointing at the students, Hasina asked them to move on with confidence instead of getting frustrated due to unnecessary criticism.

“You should not shed tears or hide faces, hearing anything from someone about you. Rather you will have to learn to move with your faith. Then, you can take this country forward,” she said.

The prime minister said serving the people, standing beside the people, working for welfare of the people should be the biggest responsibility for a person.

Appreciating the talents of Bangladeshi students, she said, “I believe that our young generation will take the country forward, maintaining this (current) progress of Bangladesh by overcoming all obstacles.”

Education Minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury presided over the function, while PM’s Education and Cultural Affairs Adviser Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury and State Minister for Education Begum Shamsun Naher spoke on the occasion.

A total of Tk 2,208 crore would be disbursed among more than 6,470,000 (64.70 lakh) students from the secondary, higher secondary and graduation and equivalent institutions, said Secretary of Secondary and Higher Education Division Suleman Khan in his welcome speech.

The stipends and tuition fees are being disbursed through online mobile financial service to the students under the G2P (government to person) system in the current fiscal year, he said.

Besides, 15 talented students who were found out through the Bangabandhu Srijanshil Mridha Oneshan-2024, were awarded, while 21 post graduate-level students were conferred with Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Scholar Award-2023, said the secretary.

The 15 students each received a certificate and Tk 2 lakh, while the 21 students, selected for the scholarship award-2023, each received a certificate and Tk 3 lakh.

Nusrat Jahan Maliha, a class-VIII student of Hazaribagh Girls’ School and College on behalf of the students; Atifa Rahman, a class-X student of Amena-Baki Residential Model School and College in Dinajpur and Pinak Mugdha Das, a Class-XI student of Government Majid Memorial City College in Khulna on behalf of the awardees under Bangabandhu Srijanshil Medha Oneshon-2024; and Zarin Tasneem Raisa, a student of English Department at Dhaka University and Al Foysal Bin Kashem Kanon, a student of the Education Department at Dhaka University, on behalf of the awardees under Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Scholar Award-2023, shared their feelings at the function.