Girls’ stipends back on the table to curb child marriage
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Monday directed the authorities to examine the feasibility of reintroducing universal stipends for girls from Class VI to the degree level to encourage continued education and help prevent child marriage.
He issued the directive at a meeting on the Prime Minister’s Education Assistance Trust at the Prime Minister’s Office in the Cabinet Division of the Secretariat.
The proposed revival of universal stipends for girls would be aimed at keeping students in education while reducing the risk of child marriage, according to the meeting.
Prime Minister’s Deputy Press Secretary Shahadat Hossain Shadhin said the meeting was briefed on the Education Assistance Trust’s ongoing activities, objectives and role in preventing student dropouts through financial assistance.
The meeting also reviewed the impact and achievements of the universal stipend programme for girls introduced during the tenure of former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia.
The programme was credited with increasing girls’ school attendance, encouraging them to continue their studies and discouraging child marriage.
Tarique Rahman asked the authorities to assess the possibility of restoring universal stipends for girls from Class VI to the graduation level.
He directed officials to prepare a clear proposal after analysing the programme’s potential cost, number of beneficiaries, implementation process and expected social and educational impact.
The meeting also discussed extending stipends to boys based on merit and eligibility to encourage them to continue their education.
Alongside financial assistance, the meeting placed equal emphasis on students’ nutrition and health as factors in improving the quality of education.
Officials discussed various aspects of the school-level mid-day meal programme, including its management, nutritional value and measures to ensure safe preparation and supply of food to children.
The Prime Minister stressed that food supplied to students must be nutritious, safe and of good quality, saying there should be no compromise over food standards.
Two alternative approaches to implementing the mid-day meal programme were also discussed, taking into consideration cost, management efficiency, local participation and quality control.
Tarique Rahman directed the authorities to launch pilot projects in two separate districts, with each district testing one of the proposed approaches.
The pilot projects will assess the effectiveness, feasibility and potential outcomes of the two approaches before further decisions are taken.
The Prime Minister’s Education Assistance Trust provides financial support to students during their education, with the aim of reducing dropouts and helping students continue their studies.
The meeting brought together senior officials to review the trust’s activities and consider measures to expand financial, nutritional and educational support for students.
Education Minister Dr ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon, Prime Minister’s Education Affairs Adviser Mahdi Amin, Secondary and Higher Education Division Secretary Abdul Khaleque, Prime Minister’s Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon and other relevant officials attended the meeting.
