Education related NEWS and updates : Bangladesh

[CaPtAiN_pLaNeT]

Income tax on private universities to stay
Students won't have to pay VAT: Muhith

Finance Minister AMA Muhith Tuesday ruled out the possibility of exemption of 15 per cent income tax and other taxes of non-government universities in the current fiscal year, reports UNB.

"At the moment, we're not exempting income tax of the non-government universities. It needs further review and there is no possibility of exemption of 15 percent income tax in the current fiscal," he told reporters after meeting a 6-member delegation of Association of Private Universities of Bangladesh (APUB) at his ERD office in the afternoon.

The Finance Minister, however, said that VAT will not be charged on the tuition fees of the private university students and a decision has already been taken in his regard.

"Legal steps will be taken on the issue. I also asked them (APUB) not to charge VAT and it is more or less resolved," he added.

The APUB delegation, led by its chairman CM Shafi Sami, requested the Finance Minister during the meeting to exempt the non-government universities from paying tax on the mandatory FDR apart from 15 per cent income tax.

The government has imposed a 40 per cent tax (10 per cent at source and 30 per cent on assessment) on the reserved fund of the private universities kept in FDR/TDR including mandatory deposit of Tk 5 crore as FDR.

The Finance Minister said the income tax on the private universities has been reduced to 15 percent from earlier 37.5 per cent considering their social responsibility.

He informed the newsmen that so far 33 private universities have filed writ petition against the imposition of income tax on the private universities.

"One judgment on a writ petition filed by East West University has come out and that went in favour of the government," he added.

APUB vice chairman Abul Quasem Haider, IUBAT founder Vice Chancellor Prof M Alimullah Miyan and president of the Board of Directors of East West University Jalaluddin Ahmed were present on the occasion.

As the government earlier imposed 4.5 per cent VAT on tuition fees, the authorities of the private universities transferred it to the students by increasing their tuition fees.

Finding no other way, the aggrieved students took to the streets last week protesting the government decision and demanded immediate withdrawal of the VAT on their tuition fees.

The students of the Southeast University, East-West University and American International University, Bangladesh staged protests and barricaded Mohakhali-Airport road to press home their demand.

An FE report adds: The National Board of Revenue (NBR) is reviewing the impact of possible withdrawal of income tax and Value Added Tax (VAT) slapped on private universities in a bid to consider exemption of the levy for the sector.

The government slapped 4.5 per cent VAT and 15 per cent income tax on private universities from the current fiscal.

A number of students of the private universities recently staged demonstration protesting the newly imposed VAT that raised their tuition fees.

Private universities have also filed a total of 33 writ petitions in the court against the newly slapped 15 per cent income tax on their earning.

The government slapped the taxes in the budget for fiscal 2010-2011.

Finance minister AMA Muhith sat with the heads of income tax and VAT departments Tuesday to review the existing tax on educational institution.

"The process of waiving the VAT on private universities is underway as per recent instruction of the finance minister," said NBR member Value Added Tax (VAT) Abdul Mannan Patowary.

The NBR is yet to issue any order regarding this, he said.

Aminur Rahman, Income Tax policy head of the NBR, said: "The government is yet to decide on exemption of income tax, which will be collected of the basis on earning of the private universities.

"I don't think it would be wrong to collect tax on earnings of the private universities. They usually show exaggerated figurers on expenditure," he said.

The government has slapped tax at reduced rate of 15 per cent while they are supposed to pay 37.5 per cent tax on their income, the rate is applicable for others, Rahman added.

Dr Rashid ul Ahsan Chowdhury, senior teacher of a private university, said: "It would be unjust to collect tax from students. They are paying much higher tuition fees than that of public universities."

Majority of the private university students come from mid-income group, he said adding that well-off section of people sent their children abroad for higher study.

Chowdhury teaches international relations (IR) in Bangladesh University of Business and Technology. He is the former member of customs department in NBR.

He strongly supported the income tax on profits of the private universities claiming that some universities only concentrate on making profits rather than providing quality education.

Income tax on private universities to stay

 

[bd_4_ever]

Seminar on Japan Development Scholarship held

A seminar on Japan Development Scholarship (JDS) was held in the Auditorium of Bangladesh Public Administration Training Center (BPATC) in Savar on Thursday.

ERD and JICE jointly organized the seminar, a press release said.

Takanori Uehara, minister of the Embassy of Japan and Rector of BPATC Md Delwar Hossain, among others, addressed the seminar.

Takanori Uehara encouraged future potential candidates to apply for JDS. He said the JDS contributes enhancing the knowledge and skills of young Bangladeshi officials so that they can play leading roles in the socio-economic development of Bangladesh after completion of their studies in Japan.

In the last eight years, a total of 167 JDS fellows were dispatched to Japan and 127 fellows returned to Bangladesh with their accomplishments and ambitions to contribute to this country, the release said.

The New Nation - Internet Edition

 

[Skies]

Experts for teachers’ training to
stop corporal punishment
Ershad Kamol

Strong motivation and teacher’s training are required to stop corporal punishment in classrooms, said teachers, educationists and policymakers.
They believe the teachers think that corporal punishment was ‘essential’ to discipline students should be trained in controlling classrooms.
They also demanded strong vigilance for a proper implementation of the order the education ministry on Monday made for all educational institutions to stop corporal punishment.
The High Court on July 18 ordered the government to stop corporal punishment such as canning, beating and chaining students in schools.
Many school and madrassah teachers, however, believe a ‘moderate classroom punishment’ is essential for classroom discipline and proper teaching.
‘Preceptors have the right to punish their disciples for proper training,’ said Maulana Abdul Gafur, a madrassah teacher, who considers his cane an important tool for education.
‘We will certainly brief the teachers on the government order,’ Selim Bhuiyan, principal of the AK High School in Dhaka, told New Age. ‘But I disagree with the government order. I believe teachers should have the authority to punish students for proper teaching.’
‘It is a tradition and it fits in with our social context,’ said Selim, who is also a leader of a faction of secondary school teachers.
But many teachers disagree with the opinion. ‘Our teachers do not use canes in classrooms. But sometimes a few teachers chide the children,’ Syed Hafizul Islam, the headmaster of the Motijheel Government Boys’ High School in Dhaka, said.
But English-medium schoolteachers in Dhaka believe corporal punishment is not required to discipline students.
‘If students breach classroom discipline, we punish them in a different manner,’ Zeenat Chowdhury, principal of the South Breeze School, told New Age, ‘A teacher can punish the students by asking them to write an essay on disobedience or by giving them extra tasks.’
Educationists, however, see corporal punishment in schools from a different perspective. ‘Corporal punishment in classrooms points to the class-oriented education system prevalent in the country,’ Serajul Islam Choudhury, a professor emeritus in Dhaka University, said.
‘Poor children who are students of madrassahs and non-government schools are mostly victims of corporal punishment. Children from solvent families who go to government and English-medium schools usually do not face corporal punishment in classrooms,’ he said.
Serajul blames teacher’s incompetence for such corporal punishment. ‘I think the teachers who lack imagination, creativity and confidence use corporal punishment in classrooms.’
The education policy, he said, should address the issue seriously and arrange for proper training for teachers so that they would not need to give students corporal punishment.
Child specialists believe corporal punishment in classrooms could create psychosomatic disorder in the students. Referring to some case studies, child specialist Professor Abid Hossain Mollah said, ‘High tension and anxiety sometimes create psychosomatic disorders in students.’
With a call for strict monitoring on the execution of the government order, Sara Hossain, the lawyer who filed the writ petition with the High Court seeking a directive against corporal punishment in educational institutions, said, ‘I appreciate the government’s move but the order must be followed up.’
The education minister, Nurul Islam Nahid, also believes that the teachers need to be motivated. ‘We request the teachers to be more sympathetic towards students in classrooms. They should also try to make classrooms enjoyable for students.’
He also urged motivation programmes for the teachers who believe corporal punishment was required in classrooms.
The education ministry in its order on Monday announced departmental action against anyone giving physical punishment to students in keeping with the penal code.
District education officers and upazila secondary education officers will take steps to stop physical punishment give out to students, the order said.

 

[Skies]

ঘণ্টায় ১৭৫ টাকায় অতিরিক্ত ক্লাস
রাজধানীর স্কুলে কোচিং নয়
নিজস্ব প্রতিবেদক | তারিখ: ১১-০৮-২০১০


এখন থেকে রাজধানীর বিভিন্ন শিক্ষাপ্রতিষ্ঠানের শ্রেণীকক্ষে নিয়মিত পাঠদানের বাইরে শিক্ষকেরা কোচিং করাতে পারবেন না। তবে ভালো ফল করা বা পিছিয়ে পড়া ছাত্রছাত্রীদের বিশেষ প্রয়োজনে বিদ্যালয় কর্তৃপক্ষ অতিরিক্ত ক্লাস নেওয়ার আয়োজন করতে পারবে।
সে ক্ষেত্রে প্রতি বিষয়ে এক ঘণ্টার একটি অতিরিক্ত ক্লাসের জন্য সংশ্লিষ্ট শিক্ষক সম্মানী পাবেন ১৭৫ টাকা। তবে কোনো শিক্ষার্থীকে অতিরিক্ত ক্লাস করতে বাধ্য করা যাবে না। এ ধরনের ক্লাস নিতে হবে শিক্ষাপ্রতিষ্ঠানের নির্দিষ্ট ক্লাসের আগে বা পরে। অভিভাবক আবেদন করলে একজন শিক্ষার্থীকে এ ধরনের ক্লাসে অন্তর্ভুক্ত করা যাবে।
পঞ্চম শ্রেণীর প্রাথমিক শিক্ষা সমাপনী এবং অষ্টম শ্রেণীর জুনিয়র স্কুল সার্টিফিকেট পরীক্ষা সামনে রেখে রাজধানীর বিভিন্ন শিক্ষাপ্রতিষ্ঠান শ্রেণীকক্ষে কোচিং শুরু করেছে। এর পরিপ্রেক্ষিতে বিভিন্ন অভিযোগের বিষয়ে গতকাল মঙ্গলবার শিক্ষা মন্ত্রণালয়ে একটি সভা অনুষ্ঠিত হয়।
এ প্রসঙ্গে জানতে চাইলে শিক্ষামন্ত্রী নুরুল ইসলাম নাহিদ প্রথম আলোকে বলেন, রাজধানীর শিক্ষাপ্রতিষ্ঠানগুলোতে কোচিং বিষয়ে বিভিন্ন প্রশ্ন ওঠায় এই সভার আয়োজন করা হয়। এ সময় সামগ্রিক বিষয় পর্যালোচনা করে সিদ্ধান্ত হয়েছে, শিক্ষা মন্ত্রণালয় কোচিংয়ের পক্ষে অবস্থান নিতে পারে না। তবে শিক্ষার্থীদের প্রয়োজনে নির্দিষ্ট সম্মানীর বিনিময়ে অতিরিক্ত ক্লাস নেওয়া যাবে। প্রথম পর্যায়ে রাজধানীর শিক্ষাপ্রতিষ্ঠানগুলোতে এ সিদ্ধান্ত প্রযোজ্য হবে। পর্যায়ক্রমে সারা দেশ থেকে মতামত নিয়ে এ বিষয়টি চূড়ান্ত করে প্রজ্ঞাপন জারি হবে।
জানা যায়, শিক্ষা মন্ত্রণালয়ের একটি প্রকল্পের অধীনে দেশের সাড়ে চার হাজার শিক্ষাপ্রতিষ্ঠানে এসএসসি পরীক্ষার্থীদের জন্য গণিত ও ইংরেজির অতিরিক্ত ক্লাস নেওয়া হয়। এক ঘণ্টার একটি অতিরিক্ত ক্লাসের জন্য সংশ্লিষ্ট শিক্ষক ১৭৫ টাকা সম্মানী পান। ওই প্রকল্পের দৃষ্টান্ত অনুসরণ করে শিক্ষা মন্ত্রণালয় রাজধানীর শিক্ষাপ্রতিষ্ঠানগুলোতে অতিরিক্ত ক্লাস নেওয়ার পক্ষে মত দিয়েছে।
গতকালের বৈঠকে শিক্ষা কর্মকর্তারা রাজধানীসহ দেশের বিভিন্ন শিক্ষাপ্রতিষ্ঠানে কোচিং-বাণিজ্যের বিষয়টি তুলে ধরেন। এ সময় শিক্ষামন্ত্রী বলেন, ভালো ফল করতে বা পিছিয়ে পড়া ছাত্রছাত্রীদের কথা চিন্তা করে শিক্ষাপ্রতিষ্ঠানে অতিরিক্ত ক্লাস নেওয়া যায়। কিন্তু এ বিষয়ে অবশ্যই একটি নীতিমালা থাকা উচিত।
সূত্র জানায়, মন্ত্রণালয়ের নেওয়া সিদ্ধান্ত অনুযায়ী শিক্ষার্থীদের বিশেষ প্রয়োজনে বিদ্যালয় কর্তৃপক্ষ অতিরিক্ত ক্লাস নিতে পারবে, কিন্তু প্রচলিত কোচিংয়ের নামে ইচ্ছামতো টাকা আদায় করতে পারবে না। বেসরকারি স্কুলের ক্ষেত্রে অতিরিক্ত ক্লাস নেওয়ার বিষয়ে অভিভাবক ও শিক্ষকেরা বসে আলোচনা সাপেক্ষে সিদ্ধান্ত নেবেন। এ ছাড়া এ বিষয়ে বিদ্যালয় ব্যবস্থাপনা কমিটি সিদ্ধান্ত গ্রহণে সহায়তা করবে। সরকারি শিক্ষাপ্রতিষ্ঠানে অতিরিক্ত ক্লাস নেওয়ার বিষয়ে সিদ্ধান্ত নেবে স্টাফ কাউন্সিল।
অতিরিক্ত ক্লাস নেওয়ার বিনিময়ে সম্মানী নির্ধারণ প্রসঙ্গে শিক্ষাবিদ সৈয়দ মনজুরুল ইসলাম প্রথম আলোকে বলেন, ‘সমাপনী ও জুনিয়র স্কুল সার্টিফিকেট পরীক্ষা ঘিরে এমন বাণিজ্য শুরু হয়ে যাবে, এটা ভাবতে পারিনি।’ তিনি এক ঘণ্টা অতিরিক্ত ক্লাসের জন্য ১৭৫ টাকা নির্ধারণের বিষয়টি যৌক্তিক মনে করেন। তবে এই টাকা সরকারের পক্ষ থেকে শিক্ষকদের সরাসরি দেওয়ার প্রস্তাব করেন তিনি। সৈয়দ মনজুরুল ইসলাম বলেন, ছয়-সাত ঘণ্টা শ্রেণীকক্ষে পড়ার পর শিক্ষার্থী প্রস্তুত হবে না, এ জন্য অতিরিক্ত ক্লাস লাগবে। এর দায়দায়িত্ব শিক্ষার্থী বা অভিভাবকের নয়। তিনি আরও বলেন, ‘আমাদের শিক্ষকদের বেতন কম। তাই তাঁদের বেতন বাড়িয়ে বা সম্মানী দিয়ে বলা যেতে পারে, তাঁরা নিজ বাসায় বা কোচিং সেন্টারে গিয়ে পড়াতে পারবেন না।’
গতকালের সভায় শিক্ষাসচিব সৈয়দ আতাউর রহমান, মন্ত্রণালয়ের যুগ্ম সচিব (মাধ্যমি&#2453 খন্দকার রাকিবুর রহমান, মাধ্যমিক ও উচ্চশিক্ষা অধিদপ্তরের মহাপরিচালক নোমান উর রশীদ প্রমুখ উপস্থিত ছিলেন।
জানা যায়, আশির দশক থেকে প্রাইভেট টিউশনি ও কোচিং-ব্যবস্থার শুরু। রাজধানীসহ সারা দেশে এখন অমুক স্যার, তমুক ম্যাডামদের ছড়াছড়ি। অথচ ‘দি রিকগনাইজড নন-গভর্নমেন্ট সেকেন্ডারি স্কুল টিচার্স (বোর্ড অব ইন্টারমিডিয়েট অ্যান্ড সেকেন্ডারি এডুকেশন, ঢাক&#2494 টার্মস অ্যান্ড কন্ডিশনস অব সার্ভিস রেগুলেশনস, ১৯৭৯ অনুযায়ী প্রাইভেট টিউশনি নিষিদ্ধ। ওই আইনে বলা হয়েছে, ‘কোনো পূর্ণকালীন শিক্ষক স্বাভাবিক কাজের বাইরে নিয়োগকারী কর্তৃপক্ষের পূর্ব অনুমোদন ব্যতিরেকে কোনো ব্যক্তিগত টিউশনি বা অন্য কোনো নিয়োগ লাভ বা অন্য কোথাও ভাতাসহ বা ভাতা ব্যতীত নিজেকে নিয়োজিত করতে পারবেন না।’
২০০৮ সালের ৪ মার্চ মাধ্যমিক ও উচ্চশিক্ষা অধিদপ্তরের এক চিঠিতে ওই আইনের প্রয়োগ ও বাস্তবায়ন নিশ্চিত করতে জেলা শিক্ষা কর্মকর্তাদের অনুরোধ করা হয়েছিল।
এদিকে কোচিং ও প্রাইভেট পড়া অনেকটা বাধ্যতামূলক হওয়ায় অভিভাবকের ওপর বাড়তি চাপ পড়ছে। গণসাক্ষরতা অভিযানের গবেষণায় (বাংলাদেশের প্রাথমিক ও মাধ্যমিক শিক্ষার ব্যয় সংকুলান, এডুকেশন ওয়াচ প্রতিবেদন, প্রকাশ: ২৭ ডিসেম্বর ২০০&#2541 বলা হয়েছে, শিক্ষা-ব্যয়ের বড় অংশ পারিবারিকভাবে মেটানো হয়। সরকারি প্রাথমিক বিদ্যালয় ও সরকারি সহায়তাপ্রাপ্ত মাধ্যমিক বিদ্যালয়ের শিক্ষার্থীদের শিক্ষা-ব্যয়ের ৫৯ ও ৭১ শতাংশ পরিবার বহন করে। এর মধ্যে বড় খাত প্রাইভেট টিউশনি ও কোচিং।

 

[Skies]

Pak Professor
calls on DU VC

Professor Dr. Nazir A. Mughal, Vice-Chancellor, University of Sindh,
Pakistan called on Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. AAMS Arefin
Siddique yesterday (Tuesday), 10 August 2010 at the latter’s official residence
of the university. Chairman of the UAE Moitry Complex Mr. M Shahjahan was
also present on this occasion.

During the meeting they discussed matters of mutual interest specially the
possibilities of exchange of teachers, researchers and students between the two
universities. They also discussed possibilities of undertaking joint collaborative
research and academic programmes in various fields.

The Vice-Chancellor thanked the guest for his visit to and interest in
Dhaka University academic activities.

Professor Dr. Nazir A. Mughal, Vice-Chancellor, University of Sindh, Pakistan
called on Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. AAMS Arefin Siddique
yesterday (Tuesday), 10 August 2010 at the latter’s official residence of the
university. Chairman of the UAE Moitry Complex Mr. M Shahjahan was also
present on this occasion.


S: DU site

 

[Skies]

Facebooking class work

Anwar communicates and keeps his students updated through his facebook group page and also uses it as a teaching tool. Photo: Rashed Sumon
Md Anwarul Islam

Bangladesh has nearly one million Facebook account holders -- a sixth of all internet users, according to Bangladesh Telecom Regulatory Commission. Initially college and university students were the main users. But now people from different age-groups are increasingly using it. At the same time, researchers, scholars and teachers are thinking of how this tool can be used in academic purposes. Teachers can utilise Facebook in the classroom for engaging students in a manner that might not be entirely possible in traditional classroom settings. Different researchers are talking about ways to replace blackboard with a Facebook-Google Docs combination and looking at ways to connect academic writing, learning and communication to larger context via Facebook groups.

It was an ordinary morning in the teachers' lounge of Dhaka University. I and my colleague Dr SM Zabed Ahmed were talking about Facebook, as the previous day, he had submitted his tutorial marks on his Facebook profile. Just a few days later, I saw different comments on the Facebook wall posted by the students of his group. I had some articles on Social Networking Tools (SNTs) published in some national and international journals. The focus of these articles was using SNT in libraries and academic purposes. But I never dared to apply this technology in my classroom. However, all things were in my favour. We had all the logistic support in our classroom like projector, laptop, internet connection, well decorated classroom and overall student enthusiasm. I started a formal discussion with graduate students on the first day of their classes and explained the process.

In graduate level, I taught a course titled “Internet Studies and Web Design”. Earlier, I had started a Facebook group for my students. I primarily used the forums wall to announce upcoming events and for Current Awareness Services (CAS). That is why for me, in graduate class it was not a new experience. I asked my graduate students how many of them were on Facebook (almost 90 percent) and how many used it weekly (95 percent). This ratio made me more impatient and I created a profile on Facebook named 'Masters' ISLM Summer'. I created a limited profile with controlled settings, no photos, videos, status update and so on. The profile is only for the graduate students of Information Science & Library Management who are the number of 35 and their academic session is 2008-2009. The admin panel is maintained by me as only graduate students are permitted to be a member of this group. On the first day of their classes, I explained how we will proceed. In the class, after presenting my lecture, a Q and A session starts. After ending each class, I submit the class lecture on Facebook wall notes so that students who are members can collect the lectures accordingly in their convenient time. Besides these, I often submit different links of electronic journals and articles related to the courses. Sometimes I answer questions from students posted on the wall. As a result the discussing session on a topic continues until it is clear to the students. I also uploaded the current syllabus of my course and declare the class schedule accordingly.

Students who used Facebook to find new people or catch up with old friends are now using it for academic purposes. One participant said: "Now I use Facebook to see what's available on my subject, join different learning groups such as climate change, drug abuse and spend time in learning sites." When I asked about whether anything negative had happened to them as a result of their Facebook use, interview respondents describe spending too much time on the site, or becoming preoccupied with one's profile and online self-presentation.

I can't say that I fully run my course on Facebook, but I have gone to using it as my means of communication with students. Many students don't read e-mails anymore, but they can't wait to see what has been posted on their wall. So if someone misses a class, I drop them a note saying, "Hey missed you in class today, everything ok?" In case of a missing assignment, I will drop them a message instead of posting it on the wall. In fact, most of the graduate students don't mail or call me anymore because they get me on Facebook.

This report is a finding from graduate students of a small department in Dhaka University. It is unreasonable to confidently generalise this result to users with different demographic or cultural contexts. Gradually different universities, libraries and organisations are now creating Facebook profiles to keep in touch with their users. Bangladeshi institutions are not far behind and I think this feature will trigger more research into using Facebook in classroom to meet the academic purposes in Bangladesh.

The writer is a lecturer and student adviser in the department of Information Science & Library Management, University of Dhaka. E-mail:anwar81du@gmail.com


S: thedailystar

 

[Skies]

Education ministry’s decision
beggars disbelief

THE education ministry’s decision to extend the Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr vacation of all secondary and higher secondary educational institutions across the country by a week, apparently to ease traffic congestion in the capital Dhaka, beggars disbelief and defies reason, to say the least. According to a report front-paged in New Age on Friday, the education minister claimed that the decision had been made ‘considering the additional pressure on teachers, students and their guardians in Ramadan as most of them observe fasting in the month.’ There are reasons though to believe that the decision may have been influenced by a home ministry request and the education minister said as much, albeit not in so many words. The early closure of the educational institutions could bring a reprieve for the city residents but the solution looks to be temporary, as have other experimentations of the government vis-à-vis the traffic situation thus far been. The temporary solution to the traffic congestion could eventually come at a cost for the secondary and higher secondary students since the extension of the Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr vacation looks set to disrupt their academic schedule. Although the education minister has insisted that the decision ‘will not affect the annual academic plan as teachers will take additional classes after the vacation is over to make up for the lost time,’ there are hardly any reasons for the students to rest assured.
What is rather baffling is the government’s inability to address the core issues related to the woeful traffic situation in the capital, i.e. non-compliance with traffic rules and regulations. According to another report also front-paged in New Age on Friday, reckless driving, wilful violation of traffic rules, haphazard parking of cars and buses to busy intersections and roadsides, driving through wrong routes are blamed for tailbacks in the capital. The non-compliance with traffic rules is pervasive, so says the traffic department of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police. One top DMP official was quoted in the report as saying that ‘we can enforce the traffic rules only when a handful of people violate the rules, but when everyone violates the rules how can we bring discipline on the streets?’ While his frustration is understandable, it needs to be pointed out that the situation has reached such a pass largely because of the metropolitan police’s lackadaisical enforcement of traffic rules over the years. In fact, stringent enforcement of traffic rules seems to have always had the least priority, as the metropolitan police hopped from one experiment to another, in an attempt to bring discipline to the city traffic. Worse even, they have hardly ever followed up these experimentations to the end.
Such half-baked, half-enforced measures may have all contributed to further complicating the already chaotic city traffic, and now the authorities have chosen to try something that could also have telling impact on the academic schedules of so many secondary and higher secondary educational institutions. One wonders when such outrageous experimentations would make way for a comprehensive transport strategy, which, as different quarters have pointed out at different times, holds the cure for the city’s traffic woes.

lol

 

[bd_4_ever]

Australian edn fair begins in city

The two-day 23rd Australian Education Exhibition began at Dhaka Sheraton Hotel Thursday.

Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) and IDP Education have jointly organised the exhibition with a view to facilitating potential Bangladeshi students with all admission-related information, says a press release.

Australian High Commissioner in Bangladesh Dr Justin Lee inaugurated the exhibition.

Country Manager of the Austrade Minhaz Chowdhury and Business Development Manager Mostafizur Rahman along with IDP Education Country Director Sharif Rahman were present at the inaugural ceremony.

Addressing the inaugural function, the speakers said Bangladeshi students could take advantage of some of the 25,000 courses offered by more than 1,100 universities, training colleges, and schools in Australia.

A total of 18 Australian educational institutions are taking part at the exhibition.

Australian edn fair begins in city

 

[eastwatch]

Australian edn fair begins in city

The two-day 23rd Australian Education Exhibition began at Dhaka Sheraton Hotel Thursday.

Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) and IDP Education have jointly organised the exhibition with a view to facilitating potential Bangladeshi students with all admission-related information, says a press release.

Australian High Commissioner in Bangladesh Dr Justin Lee inaugurated the exhibition.

Country Manager of the Austrade Minhaz Chowdhury and Business Development Manager Mostafizur Rahman along with IDP Education Country Director Sharif Rahman were present at the inaugural ceremony.

Addressing the inaugural function, the speakers said Bangladeshi students could take advantage of some of the 25,000 courses offered by more than 1,100 universities, training colleges, and schools in Australia.

A total of 18 Australian educational institutions are taking part at the exhibition.

Australian edn fair begins in city

I just do not know if the Australian Education Exhibition is half-hearted or not, but if it is genuine, then it proves that the govt of Australia now believes that some of our well off parents can afford to educate their chidren in that expensive western country, and the students there will not to remit money to their parents by doing part time job in the host country.

I have seen this in Malaysia about 20 yrs ago. Many British, US, Canadian and Australian Universities were actively seeking Malaysian students. In those days they were not seeking BD students. But, now they seek because BD has enough foreign exchange reserves so as to support foreign education for those who can afford.

By the way, can any one tell me if the Bangladesh Bank allows direct remittance to a student studying abroad.

 

[TopCat]

I just do not know if the Australian Education Exhibition is half-hearted or not, but if it is genuine, then it proves that the govt of Australia now believes that some of our well off parents can afford to educate their chidren in that expensive western country, and the students there will not to remit money to their parents by doing part time job in the host country.

I have seen this in Malaysia about 20 yrs ago. Many British, US, Canadian and Australian Universities were actively seeking Malaysian students. In those days they were not seeking BD students. But, now they seek because BD has enough foreign exchange reserves so as to support foreign education for those who can afford.

By the way, can any one tell me if the Bangladesh Bank allows direct remittance to a student studying abroad.

Yes they do and they always did in the past.

 

[bd_4_ever]

I just do not know if the Australian Education Exhibition is half-hearted or not, but if it is genuine, then it proves that the govt of Australia now believes that some of our well off parents can afford to educate their chidren in that expensive western country, and the students there will not to remit money to their parents by doing part time job in the host country.

I have seen this in Malaysia about 20 yrs ago. Many British, US, Canadian and Australian Universities were actively seeking Malaysian students. In those days they were not seeking BD students. But, now they seek because BD has enough foreign exchange reserves so as to support foreign education for those who can afford

It was from long ago that well-off parents sent their children to Australia for higher education....moreover, there is a wide-spread belief in our society that Australia is a country of quality education, and as a matter of fact it is....

Additionally, Australian universities are well known for providing scholarships as well, only second to USA....Canada and UK hardly provides scholarships to International Students....I myself am in an Australian university and if you ask me, people usually choose this destination just mainly of its wide job availabilities, good education and relative easiness in securing a PR....

In our countries we do have lots of brilliant students, who come from middle-class families who themselves cannot afford to study there....but i strongly believe they possess the ability to secure majority of the full scholarships....


Cheers!!!

 

[Razavi]

Good effort by bangladesh government. Great work!!!

 

[CaPtAiN_pLaNeT]

Four-storey primary schools proposed in rural areas

Thursday, 02 September 2010 21:17

Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS)

Four-storey primary schools proposed in rural areas

DHAKA, Sept 2 (BSS) - The Parliamentary standing committee on the Ministry of primary and mass education today proposed for building four-storey primary schools in the rural areas to offset the existing classroom crises across the country.

The committee also proposed for constructing five-storey school buildings at upazila level and six-storey school buildings at district level for better accommodation of students in classrooms, said an official handout.

The proposal came at the 10th meeting of the standing committee held at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban with committee chairman Dewan Farid Gazi in the chair.

Committee members, Primary and Mass Education Minister Mohammad Afsarul Amin, State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Mohammad Motahar Hossain, Mohammad Atiur Rahman Atique, Nazim Uddin Ahmed, Afazuddin Ahmed, Abdul Mannan, Talukder Mohammad Yunus, Principal Khadiza Khatun Shefali and Zobeda Khatun attended the meeting.

Discussing elaborately on the progress of different projects under the ministry, the committee members suggested separate budgetary allocation for the primary and mass education in future, with higher allocation for the overall education sector.

The meeting decided to discuss the issue of nationalization of registered and community primary schools of the country in the next committee meeting.

An investigative report on the dismal results of the NGO-run elementary schools was submitted to the committee and a discussion on the report would be held in the next committee meeting.

Bangladesh with around 80,000 primary schools are serving more than 17.6 million children aged generally between 6 and 10 years. The net enrollment over 85 percent in primary schools has marked a tremendous success over the last decade, but has put massive pressure on the existing schools to accommodate all kids in classrooms.

 

[eastwatch]

Four-storey primary schools proposed in rural areas

Thursday, 02 September 2010 21:17

Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS)

Four-storey primary schools proposed in rural areas

Most of the schools in the villages were started with private initiative, and upon small plots of land donated by someone. So, most of the schools lack not only facilities like a field, a gymnasium, but even the space to accomodate class rooms. Many schools are even without proper roofs.

With the ongoing economic development of the country, the govt is now able to increase the collection of taxes, a part of which, if used in the construction of new school buildings, will certainly help develop the education because the new buildings will allow a larger enrollment of students. I appreciate the govt 's latest initiative.

 

[Al-zakir]

Bangladesh must improve the process of releasing the transcript from accredited University with out hell bend experienced. It's a nightmare to obtain transcript to evaluate Bangladeshi degree to American equivalent. Not to mention about bribe. Bunch of low levies.

By the way, what happen to the inexpensive laptop that supposed to be release in Bd market? Is it coming or dead??