Staff Reporter :
Primary and Mass Education Minister Mostafizur Rahman on Thursday claimed that the literacy rate in Bangladesh is 72.9 per cent.
“The literacy rate now stands at 72.9 per cent. It has been possible to achieve with the relentless efforts of the government. It was 72.3 percent last year,” he said.
The minister said this while addressing a press briefing at the Secretariat on Thursday on the occasion of the International Literacy Day.
He said, there are 32.5 million illiterate people in the country, contrary to one million school dropouts ranging from 8-14 years. They will be imparted education through non-formal learning, he said.
The minister said that nearly 18 million people were imparted literacy between 1996 and 2001.
Mostafizur Rahman said, the Bureau of Non-Formal Education has implemented a countrywide project to impart literacy to 4.5 million people aged 15-45 years.
The government will arrange employment training programs for the five million newly- literate people so that they become skilled manpower, he said.
The government is thinking about introducing tuition-free schooling for children of junior school level.
“Education up to class VIII should be mandatory and free for all. This issue has been forwarded to the cabinet for primary consideration,” he said.
The government will determine the issue of increasing the pay-scale for assistant teachers in the government-run primary schools.
“Their demand has not been discarded, but being discussed logically,” he said.
“With the election looming, I hope those who are staging the protest for increase will realise that it was the Awami League government who worked for the education sector in the country and increased the salary for government officials,” the minister said.
“I believe that they should be assured that their demand will be fulfilled. I urge them not to take any hasty decision,” the minister said.
Primary and Mass Education Minister Mostafizur Rahman on Thursday claimed that the literacy rate in Bangladesh is 72.9 per cent.
“The literacy rate now stands at 72.9 per cent. It has been possible to achieve with the relentless efforts of the government. It was 72.3 percent last year,” he said.
The minister said this while addressing a press briefing at the Secretariat on Thursday on the occasion of the International Literacy Day.
He said, there are 32.5 million illiterate people in the country, contrary to one million school dropouts ranging from 8-14 years. They will be imparted education through non-formal learning, he said.
The minister said that nearly 18 million people were imparted literacy between 1996 and 2001.
Mostafizur Rahman said, the Bureau of Non-Formal Education has implemented a countrywide project to impart literacy to 4.5 million people aged 15-45 years.
The government will arrange employment training programs for the five million newly- literate people so that they become skilled manpower, he said.
The government is thinking about introducing tuition-free schooling for children of junior school level.
“Education up to class VIII should be mandatory and free for all. This issue has been forwarded to the cabinet for primary consideration,” he said.
The government will determine the issue of increasing the pay-scale for assistant teachers in the government-run primary schools.
“Their demand has not been discarded, but being discussed logically,” he said.
“With the election looming, I hope those who are staging the protest for increase will realise that it was the Awami League government who worked for the education sector in the country and increased the salary for government officials,” the minister said.
“I believe that they should be assured that their demand will be fulfilled. I urge them not to take any hasty decision,” the minister said.
