The National Primary Education Week-2024 will begin today with a renewed pledge to ensure quality education for children. 

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to open the week as the chief guest at Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the capital this morning.
 
As part of the week, a total of 126 teachers will be honoured with 'Primary Education Medal-2023'. Of the 126 teachers, 54 will receive the medal directly from the Prime Minister while the remaining medals will be delivered to the recipients.

The theme of the week is 'Shishu Bandhov Prathomik Shikkha, Smart Bangladesher Deekkha'.

President Mohammed Shahabuddin Ahmed and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in separate messages earlier greeted the primary level students across the country.
 
In his message, the President said considering the importance of primary education, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman took a number measures, including making the education mandatory, distribution of free textbooks up to class-V and highest budget location for education sector, for the development of the education. 

Following the footprints of Bangabandhu, President Mohammed Shahabuddin said the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been working relentlessly to ensure quality education for children.

Mentioning that the dream of Bangabandhu was to build a 'Sonar Bangla' --a prosperous and happy Bangladesh, he urged all to come forward for building knowledge and science based educated nation to fulfill the dream of the Father of the Nation. 
  
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in her message, said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman attached top priority to ensure quality education for all and as part of his plan, Bangabandhu nationalized 36,165 primary schools and jobs of 1, 57, 724 teachers side by side with taking steps to ensure modern education in independent Bangladesh.
 
The government, he said, has formulated a time-befitting education policy which is now under implementation. The government has nationalized 26, 193 primary schools and jobs of 1,05, 616 teachers, she said, adding that the post of head masters has been upgraded to 2nd class and pay-scale of assistant teachers has also been elevated. 

The Prime Minister said around one crore and forty lakh primary level students are now getting stipend and their mothers are receiving the stipend through mobile banking agents.

School feeding, formation of Prime Minister's Education Assistance Trust Fund, introduction of multimedia class-rooms and training programmes for students at home and abroad are major initiatives of her government, she added.
 
The government, she said, has been distributing free textbooks up to secondary level since 2010 and on January 1, 2024, a total of 30 crore, 70 lakh, 83 thousand and 517 free textbooks were distributed among students from pre-primary to secondary level. 

The government has also been distributing pre-primary level textbooks in five ethnic languages for children of minority groups -- Chakma, Marma, Garo, Tripura and Sadri, she added. 

The premier hoped that the government would be able to achieve its target of quality primary education for children with cooperation of all quarters, which ultimate will help the government build a prosperous smart Bangladesh by 2041. 

BDST: 1020 HRS, JUNE 27, 2024
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