Few schools in capital have playgrounds

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Sabbir Hossain :
A very few schools in capital Dhaka have playgrounds for their students, though those are needed for students to take part in sports and games to have a healthy mental and physical growth.
Since Dhaka is one of the most populous cities in the world, there are a lot of schools here. And in the absence of playground facility many of the students used to play cricket or football in the basement of the multistoried buildings.
Some of the children also fulfill their recreational facilities playing on the
balcony or rooftop of their buildings. In fact, they are growing up in confinement at their homes. Those who don’t have a balcony or access to a roof simply spend their time watching television or playing computer and mobile games.
Despite charging higher tuition fees, annual development fee and other charges from the parents for their wards, most private schools do not have playgrounds, it was alleged.
Talking to this correspondent, Principal of National Ideal School & College Md Maksud Uddin said, “There is no playground in his school, situated in Khilgaon area. The School authorities cannot arrange annual sports competition. We have no indoor sports facilities in the school. We hold sports competition only when our students and teachers go for excursion outside the capital.”
Mansura Begum, a guardian of this school, said, “As there is no sports facilities in the school, the students are growing like fouls of farm. They have no opportunity to fulfill their recreation.”
This correspondent also talked to the Headmaster of Khilgaon Model High School Md Aslam Uddin Molla. He said, “As there is no playground in his school, the concern authority used to stage the annual sports competition at the Jorepukur Ground in Khilgaon, close to the School. We have no indoor sports facilities.”
Contacted, Deputy Director (Physical Education) of Secondary & Higher Secondary Directorate under the Ministry of Education Farhana Haque told this correspondent, “The present government is very conscious about playground and sports facilities for the school students. We don’t give permission to any school to start their curriculum without playground.”
She added: We have issued circular to the school authorities to stage the annual sports competition regularly. Besides, we have also issued an order to arrange games everyday in school ground or a ground, which is adjacent to the school.
Replying to a query, Farhana said we have not enough logistic support to monitor the activities of the schools but hope that the school authorities would obey our order.”
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