PM for sports facilities in an all educational institutions

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday underlined the importance of having adequate sports facilities in all educational institutions of the country for the recreation of their students.

The Prime Minister said this while inaugurating a private educational institution, ‘Pledge Harbour School and Sports Academy’, at Mawna here.

“It’s possible to ensure a bright future for the children by involving them in games and sports alongside their regular academic activities,” she said.

Hasina advised the teachers and the guardians of children to take necessary measures so that the children could easily be groomed up without piling pressure of textbooks on them. “The present government is ensuring all facilities for the children, including IT education.”

The Prime Minister laid emphasis on projecting the rich history and culture of the country along with the glorious stories of the Liberation War so that children could grow up as patriotic and worthy citizens of the country.

Hasina also underscored the need for making education enjoyable and attractive to children instead of confining them into their classes and home works.

In this context, she mentioned that the government has allocated necessary funds in the Annual Development Programme (ADP) so that some six lakh students could take part in different disciplines of sports.

The government wants to equip the students with modern science- and technology-based education so that they could compete at the global stage, she added.

Listing various steps taken by her government for making the country’s education system time befitting, Sheikh Hasina said her government has formulated the National Education Policy 2010, which is now under implementation.

She said the government opened up the door of information technology for mental flourishment of the children and made computer education mandatory at secondary level. “The government is providing computer to each school and imparting computer training to students. Laptops are also being provided at low prices.”

In order to attract the children to school and prevent their dropout, the government is providing stipends to students up to the secondary level and a process is underway to extend the programme up to the degree level.

An education assistant trust fund has been set up with an initial fund of Tk 1000 crore to help the poor and meritorious students.

Chaired by chairman of the school M Saidul Alam, the function was addressed, among others, by Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid, local MP Advocate Rahmat Ali, Standard Bank Chairman Kazi Akram Hossain, and principal of the school Martin F Mai.