Quality of education must be improved to instill empathy in children

Quality education to infuse sensitivity into children towards the society and build empathy in their minds should be imparted alongside the conventional book-based learning, said speakers at a seminar in the capital yesterday.

They observed that continuous political violence, a "highly stratified education system" and the absence of proper atmosphere to nurture a healthy childhood, failed to create sensitivity among children today.

The seminar "Our Children Our Hope" organised by Painted Children, a UK-based NGO, was held at the Biswa Shahitto Kendro.

"Community feelings are not created in the minds of children who grow up in city streets without the care of families and they later get involved in crimes," said Jyoti Chottopadhyay, project coordinator of Institute of Environment and Development.

Referring to the recent incident of sexual harassment by a group of young men at Suhrawardy Udyan on April 14, Lenin Chowdhury, presidium member of Khelaghar Central committee, said, "They are our boys but they behaved like wolves."

"If children become inhumane psychologically, tomorrow we will get a psychologically inhumane nation."

Zahid Reza Noor, deputy feature editor of the daily Prothom Alo, said the widespread violence shown in television made children immune to violence and destroyed their tolerance capacity.

British High Commissioner Robert W Gibson, agreeing with other speakers that education is not about gaining certificates of public examinations, said, "Education is about learning how to live, learning how to think."

Sheepa Hafiza, director, gender, justice and diversity, Brac migration programme, stressed the need for addressing the early marriage issue.

She called upon everyone to resist the government's proposed plan to lower the minimum age of marriage for women from 18 to 16 years.

Nazinur Rahim, director, Painted Children, also spoke.