Thomas Babington Macaulay (1800-1859), the Chairman of the Law Commission, formed his famous Macleay Minutes (1835), which was a part of the wicked plan to sustain its colony in the Indian subcontinent, to create a higher middle class loyal to the British queen. The Macleay Commission's objective was that this class would be devoted to the Union Jack, the national flag of the United Kingdom, in every situation and work for the British master.
Lord Macleay once said, "A single shelf of a good European library was worth the whole native literature of India and Arabia". Therefore, British government's target was to make a class who will be "Indian in blood and colour but English in taste, in opinions, in morals and in intellect". If we study the post-colonial era, we will see that British Raj's plan was highly successful. Still now, we follow British colonial rules and regulations due to our mindset.
Though post-colonial governments loved to lick the British boots, but Bangabandhu regime (16 December 1971-15 August 1975) was completely different. As a dynamic leader, the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman understood that defective education system was the reason behind 200 years of British colonial rule and 25 years of Pakistani rule.
Therefore, he took several essential steps to build a strong and educated nation after independence. Bangabandhu administration established Quadrat-e-Khuda education commission (1972), the first education mission of the country, to get the long-term vision of the education sector for the war-ravaged country. To provide free education to the poor people, Bangabandhu government nationalized most of the primary schools (36,165). In 1973, it announced to give free education for the girls, who are belong to underprivileged class, up to class eight. To encourage free speech and free thinking, Bangabandhu decided to give autonomy to the universities under University Order 1973.
To glorify the country's education sector in Mujib Borsho, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina took numerous decisions such as, starting school feeding programme at all primary schools, skill enhancement schemes and a special plan to increase literacy rate etc. School feeding program has attracted the needy children and reduced the dropout rate considerably. Not only that, in Mujib Borsho, government elevated the status of primary school assistant teachers to grade 13 on the nation payroll and increased the salary of school teachers to bring job satisfaction in teaching profession.
Along with that this year the government has allocated Tk75 crores for the non-MPO teachers and employees. During ongoing financial crisis, which happened for Coronavirus pandemic, taking such bold and necessary initiative to develop country's education sector is really praiseworthy. Moreover, this government also started distributing free textbooks, providing stipends and multimedia classrooms at the schools and colleges.
To cope up with the modern technology based world, PM Hasina came up with the new idea of 'National Education Framework' and established 12 science and technology universities to create a quality environment for a science and research in the country. To focus on the technical education, government has been implementing several mega ICT projects such as Bangabandhu hi-tech park, 72,000 square foot Sheikh Kamal IT incubator and training centre so on and so forth.
Bangabandhu believed that the objective of education is to create good human being. To commemorate this great occasion (Bangabandhu's birth centenary) education ministry took a great initiative. It asked all secondary school to plant 100 trees on and around school to celebrate the day. Such appreciable act would nourish the nature and humanity.
Gopal Krishna Gokhale, one of the greatest Indian freedom fighters, once said: "What Bengal thinks today, India thinks tomorrow". It is a matter of great pride that our neighbouring countries admire enormous growth of Bangladesh in different sectors including education and try to copy the developmental model set by Bangladesh.
This year United States, that once ridiculed war torn Bangladesh as a 'bottomless basket', lauded the extraordinary development of Bangladesh. These are remarkable achievements of Mujib Borsho. It seems that much awaited 'Sonar Bangla', the dream of Bangabandhu, will be realised soon and, undoubtedly the achievements of Mujib Borsho played a pivotal role in this journey.
Last but not least, it seems that Bangabandhu's dream of illiteracy-free 'Sonar Bangla' will be realized soon. Undoubtedly, education sector's splendid achievements in Mujib Borsho would play a pivotal role in this long journey.
Bidit Chowdhury is a
freelance columnist and former education reporter of Daily Observer
