Location of schools
The mushroom growth of English medium schools has reached menacing levels. The residents of Dhanmondi and Gulshan are the worst hit people. The government -- particularly the education ministry-- must come up with short term and long-term plans to cope with the situation. The recent government circular to start the morning shift at 7.30am is a positive move forward and is only a short term arrangement.
A long term arrangement may include shifting the schools from residential areas, picking up the abandoned houses and multi-storied buildings for leasing them to different schools on profit sharing basis, may be 25% for the govt and 75% for the owners of the schools and so on. As there is serious shortage of big plots of at least 3 bighas within the city, the govt should take up projects for residential schools of international standard outside the city areas like in India and Pakistan. Besides plans should also be made to accommodate schools for medium and lower income groups in each community area to stop people from moving into other areas for their children's schooling.
The ministry may engage strategic planners and may also arrange brain-storming sessions on the issue.
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