School feeding programmes to be reintroduced in primary schools: PM

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today (8 April) informed the
Jatiya Sangsad (JS) that the government will implement school feeding, or
midday meal programmes, in primary schools across all upazilas in phases to
meet students' nutritional needs.
During the question-and-answer session in the
Jatiya Sangsad today (8 April) the prime minister also said, short,
medium, and long-term plans have been undertaken by identifying 43 key areas in
the education sector, aiming to increase budget allocation to 5% of GDP in the
sector.
The school feeding programme, a key social
initiative, boosts attendance, focus, and nutrition, particularly for
underprivileged children while encouraging regular school attendance and
parental support.
The school feeding
programme in Bangladesh, which initially started in 2010, concluded in June
2022 after being extended three times.
Tarique Rahman, also ruling BNP
chairman, said that the current democratic government considers education as
the best investment for the nation and remains committed to building a quality,
life-oriented, and inclusive education system.
He also said that the government's election manifesto
outlined a plan to gradually increase allocation for education to 5% of GDP.
"In line with that target, the
government is implementing short, medium and long-term plans after identifying
43 areas in the education sector," the leader of the House said, adding
that special importance has been given to improve the quality of primary
education in the manifesto.
As part of the government initiatives, free school uniforms will be distributed
among 200,000 primary school students across the country within the current
fiscal, he said, adding that the government has a plan to expand this
initiative in all upazilas across the country gradually. The midday meal
initiative will also be implemented gradually nationwide.
Highlighting digital transformation in
education, the prime minister said multimedia classrooms will be established in
all primary, secondary, and equivalent institutions to prepare the younger generation
for global competition.
To reduce the digital divide, free Wi-Fi will be
introduced in 1,500 institutions—including secondary schools, colleges, and
universities—and a unique digital identity, or "Edu-ID," will be
provided to every student and teacher.
The government also plans to make technical
education compulsory alongside general education at the secondary level, as
pledged in the manifesto.
Additionally, technical schools and colleges
will be set up in every upazila, and polytechnic institutes in every district
in phases.
As part of modernisation efforts, free Wi-Fi
will be launched within the next 180 days in 2,336 technical institutions and
8,232 madrasa institutions across the country. Madrasa education will also be
updated through the introduction of smart classrooms, teacher training
programmes, and the inclusion of technical courses.
The prime minister further informed
parliament that the Bangladesh Computer Council (BCC), under the ICT Division,
will roll out training programmes within the next six months on Artificial
Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Mobile App Development and Design using Flutter,
Python Programming, and AI-based Digital Marketing for students.
















