Md Mahabub Alam back from Jhalokati :
More than 60 per cent primary school students particularly from char areas in Jhalokati district often remain absent from classes.
Poverty, guardians’ unawareness, communication problems, teachers’ shortages and many teachers’ apathy to stay in rural areas are some of the main reasons that make students abstain from schools.
This was disclosed in a two-day workshop on ‘Advocacy and Communication Development Project for Women and Children’ (4th phase) organised by Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) under the Ministry of Information and funded by United Nations International Children Education Fund (UNICEF) on February 19 and 20.
These contribute to early drop out to a large scale, child marriage and indiscipline in society.
SM Zaforuzzaman, Technical Officer (Team Leader) of Codec Proteeva Project, a NGO, said, some NGOs are trying to instill the need of education in the rural areas.
He said, they are preparing children, who are five plus, for primary education under Pre-Primary Education with the help of the communities and stackholders. “But after getting admitted into primary school, many students do not show their interest due to unawareness of guardians, poverty and carelessness of teachers”, he said.
While visiting Protap Mohol Primary School at Ponabalia Union under Sadar Upazila, eight students were found present in class 1 out of 25 while 10 in class 3 out of 21.
At 64 No. Hazragati Govt Primary School where 16 students were found present in class 1 out of 31 and 17 in class 2 against 41.
Ratan, a student of class IV, told The New Nation that his parents together with his two brothers and one sister work as day labourers. “My brothers and one sister are under 15 years. They have no option than earning for family members”, he said.
“Most of the children in our area work with their parents and as such have no time to come to school regularly”, Ratan says.
Mohammad Azizul Haque, Headmaster of Protap Mohol Primary School and Manik Lal Das, Head Master of 64 No Hazragati Govt Primary School told the journalists that they used to hold meeting with guardians twice in a year and were trying for creating awareness among them about the importance of education. But the guardians show apathy to send their children to schools.
They blame poverty and teachers’ disinterest.
Nikhil Chandra Halder, Primary Education Officer of Jhalokati told this correspondent over cell phone on Saturday, the government is providing 50-65 per cent scholarship on an average among the students of the primary schools of the district.
If the scholarship is hiked to the cent per cent (100%), the number of students’ absence will gradually fall, he said. He admitted that many teachers do not want to stay in the rural areas.
The officer said that most of the teachers manage to stay in municipal area. They get transferred to the urban areas but no teacher is posted in the vacant posts.
For example, he says, Poura Adorsha Govt Primary School has 12 teachers though it has only eight posts. “I am failing to apply the rules and regulations in this regard due to political influence”, he said.
