Lifelong learning opportunity should be ensured to create a literate and skilled society. For neo-literates, reading learning materials is a probable solution to enhance literacy skill and gain life skill as well as livelihood skills. In most cases poor and disadvantaged people of our country have no enough ability to buy learning materials from market. They openly dependent on free materials published and distributed by the Government and NGOs. But the sources of getting free materials are very limited. Moreover NGOs working at grassroots level have enough capacity and fund to produce learning materials.
Aiming to fill-up the gap CAMPE has been publishing learning materials since inception and distributing those among the disadvantaged neo-literates through Government agencies, members and partners. By this time CAMPE published and distributed more then 400 supplementary and continuing education materials on selected themes keeping diversity.
CAMPE usually develop these materials through organizing participatory workshop aiming to improve the capacity of relevant activists of member and partner in this area. As a continuum of this process, CAMPE organized “Skills based Continuing Education Materials Development Workshop” held on 24-29 November 2013 at CAMPE Training Centre. A total of 22 participants/delegates from Government agencies, education institutions and NGOs like Mr. Khan Mahabub Uzzaman, Deputy Director, Directorate of Youth Development, Mr. Md. Zulfiker Ali, Principal, BACE Mitali Training Centre, Dinajpur, Ms. Rabeya Shams, Assistant Professor, National College of Home Economics attended in the workshop.
During the workshop participants were oriented on the Concept of Continuing Education materials, Needs, Process and Techniques of materials development, Consideration of Gender etc. Participants were divided into seven groups and developed one manuscript on selected topics from each group. Seven manuscripts were developed during the workshop, titled ‘Poshake Jari-Chumki O Karchupir Kaz (Ornamental Works in Wear)’, ‘Drilling Machine-er Jadu (Magic of Drilling Machine)’, ‘Led Machine-er Galpokatha (Story of Led Machine)’, ‘Power tiller ebong Shalo Machine Chalona O Rakhhonabekhhon (Operation and Maintenance of Power tiller and Shalo Machine)’, ‘Sewing Machine Chalona O Rakhhonabekhhon (Operation and Maintenance of Sewing Machine)’, Rajmistri O Rodmistri: Sahaz je Kaz Shikhte Pari (Masonry: Easy Work We can Learn)’, Greho Korme Noipunya (House Keeping).
Developed manuscripts were presented by the participants in the closing session of the workshop. Participant Mr. Khan Mahbub Uzzaman told the session that he enjoyed a lot during last 6 days where he gained practical experience on materials development process which is needed for all trainers, instructors and material developers’ working in his Directorate. Ms. Shahnaj Begum, Special Correspondent, The Daily Independent was attended as the Guest in the closing session. Ms. Shahnaj mentioned it as a wonderful opportunity for her to learn how learning materials could be developed within a short time. She also said that skill development is necessary for all disadvantaged youth and adult to meet the demand of growing job market in the country and abroad. At the end of the course participants were awarded with certificate.
The workshop was designed and facilitated by Tapon Kumar Das, Program Manager in cooperation with Abu Reza, Program Officer of CAMPE.
The major discussant topics of the orientation were- Child Rights, Concept and areas of growth and development; Age-wise development milestone; Interactive care- scope and challenges; Importance of play for holistic child development; Uses of materials; Parenting; ECCE initiatives in Bangladesh; Health and Nutrition in early childhood care and education. Field visit and Story telling for children were included in the course.
The course was facilitated by Tapon Kumar Das associated with Mosharraf Hossain and Tanuja Sharma of CAMPE. While Professor Dr. Md. Asirul Hoque, PhD, Bangladesh Institute of Health Sciences (BIHS); Md. Tariqul Islam Chowdhury, Bangladesh Sishu Academy; Ms. Janatun Nahar, IED-BU; Ms Tahamina, Lalmatia Collage took part in the course as external resource persons.
At the end of the course participant prepared an Action plan to extend their support in early stimulation. Some of the participant made opinion that this orientation is necessary for all parents before their child birth. It is also important for all teacher engaged in different kindergarten and pre-primary education centre.
At the closing participants were awarded with certificate.
A Division Bench of the High Court comprising Madam Justice Naima Haider and Mr Justice Zafar Ahmed made the Rule Absolute in Part today by directing the Government to ensure that the Private Schools across the country follow prescribed ceiling on such fees fixed by the Ministry of Education under নিমà§à¦®à¦®à¦¾à¦§à§à¦¯à¦®à¦¿à¦•/ মাধà§à¦¯à¦®à¦¿à¦•/মাধà§à¦¯à¦®à¦¿à¦• ও উচà§à¦š মাধà§à¦¯à¦®à¦¿à¦• পরà§à¦¯à¦¾à§Ÿà§‡à¦° বেসরকারি শিকà§à¦·à¦¾ পà§à¦°à¦¤à¦¿à¦·à§à¦ ান সমূহ à¦à¦°à§à¦¤à¦¿à¦° কà§à¦·à§‡à¦¤à§à¦°à§‡ অনà§à¦¸à¦°à¦¨à§€à§Ÿ নীতিমালা -২০১১ and also take stern action to prevent schools charging excessive admission fees across the country. Quoting the report submitted on behalf of the Government, the Court observed that the Ministry of Education had issued show cause notices to a few schools in Dhaka who were allegedly taking excessive payments beyond the ceiling. The Court noted that after issuance of the show cause notice, those schools stopped taking such payments from the guardian of students as admission fees and they also gave assurances that such amounts would be adjusted against other dues. As those schools had eventually complied with the aforesaid guidelines, the Court would not direct further immediate action against them.
However, the Court issued a “Continuous Mandamus” order upon the authorities, directing the government to ensure that the aforesaid guidelines are being followed strictly by the private schools across the country and warning that non –compliance by any school would render them liable to being held in contempt of court.
The first petitioner, former Adviser to the Caretaker Government, and the Executive Director of the Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE) welcomed the judgment, commenting that “The right to education is a fundamental right of a citizen of Bangladesh and thus it is the duty of the State to ensure education to all citizens. This judgment will add a new dimension to the movement for education rights, and establishment of the rights of people who are deprived of education”
Earlier on 10th of January, 2102 a High Court Bench comprising of Mr. Justice AHM Shamsuddin Choudhury Manik and Mr. Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim issued a Rule Nisi after hearing a writ petition jointly filed by the Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE) and Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST). The writ challenged the government’s failure to prevent the primary, secondary and higher secondary educational institutions (which receive MPO) from charging additional admission fees from guardians of students. The HC issued a Rule upon the education ministry, directorates and boards of education to explain in three weeks why their failure to investigate the imposition of excess school fees and charges from guardians in the form of donations, and its failure to prosecute and punish the schools and colleges doing so should not be declared unconstitutional and a violation of the access to education.
The Court asked the officials to explain why they should not be directed to adopt a time-bound action plan to monitor both government and non-government schools to ensure that they comply with the guidelines regarding the fee ceiling and refund the excess fees extracted from guardians.
The petition was filed following a spate of news reports about a number of schools across the country charging admission fees ranging from Tk 8,000 to Tk 32,000 or even higher unlawfully.
According to an Education Ministry circular, admission fees for such schools had been fixed at Tk 5,000 to Tk.8000 for the Dhaka Metropolitan area, Tk 3,000 for other metropolitan areas, Tk 2,000 for district headquarters, Tk 1,000 for upazila headquarters and Tk 500 for rural areas according to the petition.
Barrister Ashraful Hadi appearing for the petitioners stated: “this is a landmark judgment that will facilitate proper access to education as part of fundamental rights of every citizen. It was a positive step for the Ministry of Education in issuing those Circulars concerned and the Government must be responsible to ensure that these progressive measures are implemented for greater public benefit.” For BLAST, Barrister Sara Hossain stated: “This judgment is an important step towards recognizing the right to access to education as a fundamental right .
Barrister Sara Hossain, Barrister Ashraful Hadi, and Barrister Md. Akmal Hossain appeared for the petitioners, while Deputy Attorney General Adv. Mukhlesur Rahman represented the state.
Ganokendra meaning peoples centre functions as multi-purpose community learning centre and serves as a platform to empower women and girls through literacy promotion integrated with livelihood skills training. DAM has been implementing Ganokendra in hard-to-reach poverty stricken areas in 84 sub-districts of 26 districts in Bangladesh since 1992.
For more information log in to www.ahsaniamission.org.bd
