Bangladesh News

The chief adviser has asked the education adviser to start work for establishing at least some model schools in rural areas in 2007-2008 fiscal year as part of the government’s plan to reduce disparity in the quality of education between rural and urban areas.
Fakhruddin Ahmed issued the urgent directive to begin operation of those schools within the shortest possible time even after a hurried initiative was taken by the education ministry for establishing quality schools in 326 upazila headquarters.
‘We also don’t want a division [between cities and villages],’ wrote the chief adviser to Ayub Quadri, the education adviser, in a letter on June 16, following a New Age editorial that criticised the discriminatory system of education.
Fakhruddin, in a letter dated April 10 to Quadri, observed, ‘Quality schools are now mostly in urban areas and it creates discrimination in schooling between urban and rural areas.’
‘Take steps to set up some quality schools in upazila headquarters and villages where students from poor families will get priority in enrolment and will be provided with special scholarship,’ said the letter.
In reply, the education ministry in the last week of April sent a summary to the chief adviser suggesting some alternatives including nationalisation of 326 non-government schools in upazila headquarters.
There are no government secondary schools in 326 out of the 517 upazilas across Bangladesh. There are now 317 government secondary schools in only 191 upazilas.