Appoint, train teachers to meet Jan 2016 deadline

Teachers must fast be appointed and trained if the government is to start providing indigenous children education in their mother tongue from January 2016, speakers told a national seminar yesterday.

Committees of the Department of Primary Education, and National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB), formed to introduce the new education system at primary level, must also expedite their activities, they said.

Without teachers, books, syllabuses and schools will be rendered useless, said Socialist Party of Bangladesh central member Razequzzaman Ratan.

Titled "Introducing primary education through indigenous children's mother tongue: current context and duty", the seminar was jointly organised by Bangladesh Adivasi Forum and Kapaeeng Foundation with assistance from Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) in the capital's The Daily Star Centre.

 The number of teachers required is yet to be estimated, said Prof Dr Sourav Shikder of Dhaka University.

Lawmaker Fazle Hossain Badsha said steps to publish books required in class I must also be taken since the pre-primary level graduates would be needing those in 2017.

The chairman of the parliamentary caucus on indigenous peoples said education in mother tongue was a must as the language connects a child with his or her culture and literature and aids intellectual development.

Gyanendra Nath Biswas, additional secretary of the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, said initially the education would be provided in five languages including that of the Chakma, Marma, Tripura and Garo.

NCTB Chairman Prof Dr Narayan Chandra Paul said publishing of pre-primary level books was nearly at the final stage. He urged indigenous people to provide suggestions on books meant for class I students.

Mathura Bikash Tripura, executive director, Zabarang Kollyan Samity, in his keynote speech, stressed the need for specific budgetary allocation for the new education system.

MJF Director Dr Shameem Imam, Mass Signature Campaign Deputy Director Tapon Kumar Das and Kapaeeng Foundation Executive Director Pallab Chakma also spoke while Bangladesh Adivasi Forum General Secretary Sanjeeb Drong moderated the session.