School feeding programmes to be reintroduced in primary schools: PM
Tarique Rahman said 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.
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.
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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.
