PM orders turning all CHT primary schools residential

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday directed the officials concerned to turn all the 228 primary schools in the Chittagong Hill Tracts into residential ones in phases.

She also asked the officials to take effective steps for maintaining the achievements in the country's education sector.

She gave the directives while addressing the first meeting of the "National Taskforce for Execution of the Commitment to Enroll All Children in Primary School and Building Illiteracy-free Bangladesh" at the Prime Minister's Office, said PM's press secretary AKM Shameem Chowdhuri after the meeting.

The prime minister, who is also the adviser of the taskforce, asked the officials to put in their best efforts to increase the attendance of students in schools in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.

She asked the officials for incorporating subjects on different rural professions in primary education curricula so that students can learn about their predecessors' professions in schools.

The meeting was informed that the enrollment rate of children at primary level was around 97.70 percent in 2014 against 93. 90 percent in 2009 while the dropout rate decreased to 20.90 percent in 2014 from 45.10 percent in 2009.

The prime minister mentioned that the success in education sector was achieved as the government had taken various steps for widening the scope of education for all, particularly the formulation of the national children policy and creating pro-education atmosphere for all, including girls.

In this connection, Hasina mentioned that the government has taken initiatives to set up separate toilets for female students in each school.

She said a total of 26,193 registered primary schools and services of around 1,03,845 school teachers were nationalised while around one lakh new teachers were recruited.

Hasina also asked the authorities concerned for the continuation of midday meal for students and taking initiatives with the help of local people and guardians to create a fund voluntarily in every school to serve midday meal according to the students' choice.

Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu, Primary and Mass Education Minister Mustafizur Rahman Fizar, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid, State Minister for Science and Technology Yafes Osman, State Minister for Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Bir Bhadur and State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Meher Afroze Chumki, among others, attended the meeting.