Govt expands support to curb pry school dropout

The government has taken a series of measures, including stipends, free uniforms and school feeding programmes, to prevent dropout among poor and disadvantaged children in primary schools, State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj told parliament on Tuesday.

He was responding to a question from Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Muhammad Abdul Khaleq, who represents the Satkhira-2 constituency.

The lawmaker said many children from poor and low-income families in his constituency and across Satkhira district were at risk of dropping out of school due to financial hardship and family problems.

He asked whether the government had any special plan to expand stipends, learning materials and school-based support for such children.

The state minister said the primary-level stipend programme would help keep children interested in attending school. He added that the school feeding programme is currently running in 150 upazilas, while a mid-day meal programme is being rolled out in a second phase covering 349 upazilas.

Free distribution of school uniforms to government primary school students, alongside efforts to provide bags, shoes and other learning materials are among the measures, he said.

The other measurers are free four-colour textbooks handed to every primary school student on the first day of the year, an inclusive education programme to bring girls, children with disabilities, children from small ethnic communities and other disadvantaged children into mainstream government primary schools regardless of religion, caste or tribe.

Besides, funds were allocated to upazilas and thanas based on demand to procure and distribute assistive devices such as wheelchairs, crutches, hearing aids and spectacles for children with special needs, he said.

The steps are also included participation of students in the Primary School Gold Cup Football Tournament (for boys and girls), from school to national level, to encourage children to stay in school, pre-primary “5+” programme running in all government primary schools, along with a pilot “4+” pre-primary class in 8,214 government primary schools to promote early childhood education and Annual observance of “National Primary Education Week” and the awarding of Primary Education Medals to students for outstanding achievement.