The spirit of Education Day

The impact of globalisation in education in the country along with some progressive steps and decisions taken in the recent past, makes one optimistic about the future of education

The `Education Day’ was observed on September 17 with the vow to accelerate the pace of progress and peace in the face of recent terrorism and violence where a microscopic number of youths including students who study in private universities and madrasas also are found involved.17th September reminds us of the movement against discrimination and deprivation in education and for scrapping the unpopular Shareef Commission Report on Education by the students in the then East Pakistan in the early sixties which culminated this day in 1962. On the day school student Babul, bus conductor Golam Mostafa and domestic worker Waziullah scrificed their lives a in support of the movement of the students. I personally participated in the movement as an activist in the capacity of General Secretary of Dhaka College Students' Union. The movement was initiated by the students alone without any outside influence. The central student leaders could not foresee that such a huge movement was possible based on academic issues and problems faced by the students. The momentum of  movement subsided when the then opposition leader H. S. Suhrawardy came over to Dhaka from Karachi. He met East Pakistan Governor Golam Faruk and could persuade him to defer implementation of the Shareef Commission Report.

Since the establishment of Pakistan, a policy of disparity and stepmotherly attitude was followed towards East Pakistan where lived 56 oer cent of the population. Number of educational institutions started to decrease and the drop out rate increased within a short time. Prior to partition of the subcontinent, East Pakistan was much ahead of the then western part of Pakistan. In 1947-48 the number of primary schools in East Pakistan was 29,633, which came down to 26,000 within a span of 5 years in 1954-55. The Pakistan Army Chief Ayub Khan toppled the coalition civilian government at the centre headed by Prime Minister Firoz Khan Noon in the month of October, 1958.  After two months of his usurption of power, he  announced formation of a committee headed by the  Secretary, Education of West Pakistan and his one time teacher at Aligarh University, S. M. Sharif. on 30th December. The commission submitted its interim report on 26th August,1959. Some of the features of  the Commission report which was published in 1962, provoked students’ agitation in East Pakistan, to mention a few : (1) The concept of free primary compulsory education is an utopia. (2) To introduce a Lingua Franca for Pakistan, Roman Script should be introduced and for that Arabic should be given priority. (3) ‘Urdu should be made the language of the people of Pakistan’. (4) Education should not be available at minimum cost and at a ‘cheap price’. (5) The 2 years’ degree course should be upgraded to 3 years. These features and recommendations naturally were not  acceptable to the enlightened sections of people in East Pakistan  who were  already against the military rule. The education movement of  1962, in line with the language movement of 1952, contributed to the liberation struggle in 1971 along with the civil disobedience movement in 1969 followed by the election in 1971, which ultimately resulted in the emergence of Bangladesh  
This year Education Day is being observed with focus on the national resistance to terrorism and violence and  the delay in the passing of the Education Law for which establishment of permanent statutory Permanent  Education Commission could not be realized. 
There is no denying the fact that in recent years the education sector has witnessed several positive changes such as free distribution of text books to primary and secondary students, reform in the curriculum after 17 years, introduction of creative question, use of information technology in the publication of examination results, introduction of pre-primary class, steps to check coaching on commercial basis, development of the infra structure of education institution, stipend for girls, achievement of gender parity in primary and secondary education. 
But the challenges in education are also manifold. To mention a few : 1.  gradual decrease in the allocation for education 2. meritorious students' unwillingness to join teaching profession 3. brain drain 4. reluctance of students in science subjects 5. anomalies and lack of coordination in the management of education and education institution 6. absence of monitoring and presence of corruption in every tier and stage of education 7. lack of proper pre and in service training for teachers 8. moral degradation of a section of teachers 9. corporal punishment of students at the hand of a section of teachers 10. dislink of existing education system with the job market 11. slow pace of progress in the implementation of the Education Policy 2010 and 12. politicisation in education and the interference of the vested quarters in almost every tier. 
National Front of Teachers and Employees ( N F T E ) and  Initiative for Human Development ( I H D ), a member organization of Asia South Pacific Association  for  Basic and Adult Education ( A S P B A E ) jointly organised couple of programmes today on Education Day. Students formed a human chain in front of the National Press Club and later on a discussion meeting will be held at the Press Club VIP lounge.  The Theme of the meeting is : ` Teachers, guardians and students are in support of education, peace and progress`.
The impact of globalization in education in the country along with some progressive steps and decisions taken in the recent past however, make me optimistic about the future of education despite the crisis and challenges there. The creativity of our young boys and girls, the expanding cooperation between the government and the nongovernment organizations, the dynamism of a section of policy makers, forward looking ideas of some of our leaders irrespective of political allegiance, the role of the media make me confident of our onward march towards progress. The causes which led to the education movement in 1962 and the liberation of Bangladesh movement in 1971, all unmistakably show the way forward. This spirit is indomitable in the fight against ignorance, illiteracy, all forms of dogmatism, violence and backwardness. 

The writer was an organizer of the 1962-education movement. He is a member of National Education Policy Committee. Email: [email protected]

The spirit of Education Day

The impact of globalisation in education in the country along with some progressive steps and decisions taken in the recent past, makes one optimistic about the future of education

The `Education Day was observed on September 17 with the vow to accelerate the pace of progress and peace in the face of recent terrorism and violence where a microscopic number of youths including students who study in private universities and madrasas also are found involved.17th September reminds us of the movement against discrimination and deprivation in education and for scrapping the unpopular Shareef Commission Report on Education by the students in the then East Pakistan in the early sixties which culminated this day in 1962. On the day school student Babul, bus conductor Golam Mostafa and domestic worker Waziullah scrificed their lives a in support of the movement of the students. I personally participated in the movement as an activist in the capacity of General Secretary of Dhaka College Students Union. The movement was initiated by the students alone without any outside influence. The central student leaders could not foresee that such a huge movement was possible based on academic issues and problems faced by the students. The momentum of movement subsided when the then opposition leader H. S. Suhrawardy came over to Dhaka from Karachi. He met East Pakistan Governor Golam Faruk and could persuade him to defer implementation of the Shareef Commission Report. Since the establishment of Pakistan, a policy of disparity and stepmotherly attitude was followed towards East Pakistan where lived 56 oer cent of the population. Number of educational institutions started to decrease and the drop out rate increased within a short time. Prior to partition of the subcontinent, East Pakistan was much ahead of the then western part of Pakistan. In 1947-48 the number of primary schools in East Pakistan was 29,633, which came down to 26,000 within a span of 5 years in 1954-55. The Pakistan Army Chief Ayub Khan toppled the coalition civilian government at the centre headed by Prime Minister Firoz Khan Noon in the month of October, 1958. After two months of his usurption of power, he announced formation of a committee headed by the Secretary, Education of West Pakistan and his one time teacher at Aligarh University, S. M. Sharif. on 30th December. The commission submitted its interim report on 26th August,1959. Some of the features of the Commission report which was published in 1962, provoked students agitation in East Pakistan, to mention a few : (1) The concept of free primary compulsory education is an utopia. (2) To introduce a Lingua Franca for Pakistan, Roman Script should be introduced and for that Arabic should be given priority. (3) Urdu should be made the language of the people of Pakistan. (4) Education should not be available at minimum cost and at a cheap price. (5) The 2 years degree course should be upgraded to 3 years. These features and recommendations naturally were not acceptable to the enlightened sections of people in East Pakistan who were already against the military rule. The education movement of 1962, in line with the language movement of 1952, contributed to the liberation struggle in 1971 along with the civil disobedience movement in 1969 followed by the election in 1971, which ultimately resulted in the emergence of Bangladesh This year Education Day is being observed with focus on the national resistance to terrorism and violence and the delay in the passing of the Education Law for which establishment of permanent statutory Permanent Education Commission could not be realized. There is no denying the fact that in recent years the education sector has witnessed several positive changes such as free distribution of text books to primary and secondary students, reform in the curriculum after 17 years, introduction of creative question, use of information technology in the publication of examination results, introduction of pre-primary class, steps to check coaching on commercial basis, development of the infra structure of education institution, stipend for girls, achievement of gender parity in primary and secondary education. But the challenges in education are also manifold. To mention a few : 1. gradual decrease in the allocation for education 2. meritorious students unwillingness to join teaching profession 3. brain drain 4. reluctance of students in science subjects 5. anomalies and lack of coordination in the management of education and education institution 6. absence of monitoring and presence of corruption in every tier and stage of education 7. lack of proper pre and in service training for teachers 8. moral degradation of a section of teachers 9. corporal punishment of students at the hand of a section of teachers 10. dislink of existing education system with the job market 11. slow pace of progress in the implementation of the Education Policy 2010 and 12. politicisation in education and the interference of the vested quarters in almost every tier. National Front of Teachers and Employees ( N F T E ) and Initiative for Human Development ( I H D ), a member organization of Asia South Pacific Association for Basic and Adult Education ( A S P B A E ) jointly organised couple of programmes today on Education Day. Students formed a human chain in front of the National Press Club and later on a discussion meeting will be held at the Press Club VIP lounge. The Theme of the meeting is : ` Teachers, guardians and students are in support of education, peace and progress`. The impact of globalization in education in the country along with some progressive steps and decisions taken in the recent past however, make me optimistic about the future of education despite the crisis and challenges there. The creativity of our young boys and girls, the expanding cooperation between the government and the nongovernment organizations, the dynamism of a section of policy makers, forward looking ideas of some of our leaders irrespective of political allegiance, the role of the media make me confident of our onward march towards progress. The causes which led to the education movement in 1962 and the liberation of Bangladesh movement in 1971, all unmistakably show the way forward. This spirit is indomitable in the fight against ignorance, illiteracy, all forms of dogmatism, violence and backwardness. The writer was an organizer of the 1962-education movement. He is a member of National Education Policy Committee. Email: [email protected]