Govt. gives highest attention to quality of education: PM

Describing the results of this year’s Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) and equivalent examinations as overall good, Prime Minister Sheikh Hsaina on Sunday said her government has given highest attention to enhancing the quality of education so that future generations could move keeping pace with the time.

“The percentage of pass of this year’s (HSC) exams may be less to some extent. But we’ve modernized the education and given highest attention to its standard ... importance has been given to all matters including examining answer sheet so that future generations could advance keeping pace with the era,” she said.

The premier said this while receiving results of this year’s HSC and equivalent examinations at her official Ganabhaban residence here this afternoon.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid formally handed over the results to the premier first and later the chairmen of 10 education boards handed over results of their respective boards.

The prime minister said the results of this year’s HSC and equivalent examinations are adequate good and congratulated parents, guardians and teachers for the results.

She called upon the students to be more attentive to study to further brighten the face of the country and nation as well as their parents.

“The students will have to be more attentive to study and they must have sincerity in passing examinations ... they will have to choose which time is better for education,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina called upon the guardians and teachers to give more time to their children and earn their confidence and trust so that they don’t engage in drug addiction and militancy.

“Giving proper guidelines to the children and realising their problems are very much necessary ... the guardians will have to be more sincere towards them and will have to create such an environment so that the children can share any problem with them like friends,” she said.

“It’s my firm belief that the children will not step into the wrong path if their guardians look into the matter that with whom they develop relations and where they go and whether they remain absent from their educational institutions,” she added.

Terming the present generation the future leaders of the country, the prime minister said they will have to build themselves as good citizens as they will have to take responsibility of the country.

“How many days we would remain alive ... but the current generation will have to give leadership of the country. A good scientist or teacher or officer will be made from among them and keeping this in mind, they will have to be build themselves,” she said.

The prime minister said Bangladesh earned its independence in exchange for huge sacrifice and blood of three million martyrs. “We want to establish Bangladesh as a dignified nation before the world and we want that everybody will move with dignity,” she said.

The prime minister said the military rulers after the assassination of Bangabandhu in 1975 destroyed the dignity of the country by making Bangladesh as a nation of beggars.

“Their policy was to turn Bangladesh into a nation of beggars ... Bangladesh was undermined and neglected everywhere and it was considered as a country of the poor, cyclone and beggars when the military dictators were in power,” she said.

But coming to power after 21 years, she said, the Awami League government set a target to build the country in such a way that the entire world looks towards Bangladesh with surprise.

“By the grace of Allah, we did it successfully ... Bangladesh is now a role model of development. The new generation to keep up this success,” she said, adding the country will have to be established in such a way so that the people could move with a pride nation.

Elaborating her government’s various steps for development of the education sector to build a hunger and poverty-free country, the prime minister said it is not possible to eliminate poverty without development of education.

Sheikh Hasina said her government after assuming office in 1996 gave priority to education and announced to free Bangladesh from illiteracy.

“To achieve the goal, we implemented many projects and made open higher education and improved its quality,” she said, adding as a result, attention of the students towards study alongside the raising of pass rate in public examinations.

Mentioning that interest of the students in science education is less, the prime minister said science education is a must for development of the country.

She said her government in 1996 took steps to establish 12 science and technology universities in the country so that the students become interested in science education.

“We diversified education system so that the students can move keeping pace with the era that’s why we framed a law in this regard and started work for construction of six such universities,” she said.

She said the Awami League government first established medical university and textile university in the country side by side with upgrading engineering colleges into universities and agriculture colleges to agriculture universities.

She said computer was a dream for students and many didn’t know anything about it. “But after coming to power, we gave importance to computer education,” she said.

The prime minister said her government established over 5,500 digital centres across the country to reach government’s services to the people’s doorsteps. “We have formed education assistance trust fund to ensure higher education for meritorious and poor students,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina expressed her dissatisfaction over this year’s HSC results of Comilla Board and said the location of Comilla is very close to Dhaka. “Why they will trail in results ... special attention should be given to this end,” she said.

The prime minister later talked to teachers, students, guardians, public representative and officials of the administration with Shariatpur and Lalmonihat districts through video-conferencing on the occasion.

PM’s Principal Secretary Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury, Senior PMO Secretary Suraiya Begum, Military Secretary Major General Mia Mohammad Joynul Abedin and Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim were present, while Education Secretary Sohrab Hossain conducted the function.

Source: BSS