Necessity of Education For All

Cross posted from Afrin’s Gallery


Education is one of the human basic rights that is important for all. In this case another sentence can be said – “Education is the backbone of a nation”. From my view after under consideration this two sentences, it is proved that education is necessary for every men and women. But some people did not or do not realize it. In Bangladesh, during the pre-liberation war, only men had the right to receive education. Afterwards, women gained the right for education after many struggle. Now the situation has changed. Education has become compulsory for all. Because government knows that for developing a country, the first step is to educate the public. So most of the people send their children to school so that the children can develop themselves and their country as well. Yet I have seen many parents who do not want to let their children to be educated and many girls and boys who have the opportunity to be educated but they do not use it properly. It is extremely a sorrowful thing that they are sinking into the darkness of ignorance. I had tried to make some people understand. But my efforts had gone in vain. So not only I but also we all should think over it. At last I want to say that everyone need education because it is important and helps us to understand ourselves in spheres of life.

The English Sections of Nari Jibon Project

Mohtarimun Nahar [Bipa]
[The Supervisor of English Section & Editing]

Nari Jibon Project provides alternative skills for girls & women. Actually it is a training program. The Executive Director of this Project is Kathryn B Ward. She is a Professor of Sociology and Women’s Studies of Illinois University, Carbondale. She started this project in March 2005 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Funding comes from her and her mother Pat Ward and nominally from the students’ admission fees and other donations.

Here different aged of girls and women can take courses on English, Bengali, Tailoring, Computer Office Program, Graphics and Photography etc. Most of the students are of school, college and university levels. Also sex workers can get admitted in English, computers or any other sections in Nari Jibon.

Here we have Nari [Women] Cyber Café only for girls and women. Students are to submit their assignments to the related teachers and practice on English and Computer in this cyber café.

We have also a Blog Project in English [titled “Bangladesh from Our View” [http://narijibon.blogspot.com] and Bengali [“Amader Galpa (Our Stories)” [http://banglablog-narijibon.blogspot.com ] to enhance students’ & staffs’ creativity on different areas.
To know more about Nari Jibon Project you can visit-- www.narijiobon.com.

In Nari Jibon Project we have two English sections: English-1 [Basic Grammar, Reading, Writing and Speaking] and English-2 [Advanced Speaking, Reading & Writing]. Beside those two Practice Classes[Special English Spoken Practice Class] are held on Friday and Saturday morning.

I am the teacher of these sections. Some times many visiting teachers come to take English classes to encourage the students. The students are to attend in the English Sections before taking the computer course. Before admitting here students are to attend an admission test and their sections are decided on their results.

After every three/four month’s guardian meetings and prize giving ceremony are arranged. We also arrange blog workshop by experienced people. Now I will give some descriptions about Nari Jibon English classes.

English-1 [Basic Grammar, Reading, Writing and Speaking]:
Teacher: Mohtarimun Nahar (Bipa)

Course objectives:

• Students will learn Basic English vocabulary.
• Students will learn Basic English grammar rules.
• Materials mostly given in English (immersion).
• Practice on speaking, writing, reading, and understanding will be assigned in each class.
• Students will be able to: read, write and speak.
• Remove students’ hesitation on speaking.
• Students will contribute to the English blog.
• At the end of the course, students will be prepared to move to English 2.
Course requirements:
• Students must know the English alphabet before attending this class.
• Students will do their homework as requested.
• Students will develop their portfolio and plan.

Students will diligently attend classes, and provide adequate reasons for absence. They will be required to make up missed work.

English-2 [Advanced Speaking, Reading & Writing]:
Teacher: Mohtarimun Nahar (Bipa)

English 2 is the final course in English at Nari Jibon. Students who have completed English 1 and have passed a competency exam (oral and written) are eligible to join this class. English 2 is taught completely in English, and each class includes elements of speaking, reading, writing and comprehension. Students are expected to submit homework assignments as required by their teacher, to attend class regularly, and to sit for exams as scheduled.

Course objectives:

• Students will improve their English vocabulary.
• Students will improve their English grammar rules.
• Students will be able to: read, write and speak.
• Students will increase their confidence when conversing in English.
• Students will contribute to the English blog.
• Students will develop their portfolios.
• Students will complete internships.
• At the end of the course, students will be able to hold a conversation with a native English speaker, read and understand English writing, and write grammatically correct memos, essays and prose.

Rules of English- 1 & 2:

• The course will be finished within two months [English-1 within 24 classes and English- 2 within 16 classes].
• Students are required to purchase a cyber café pass card and complete their homework in the cyber café, at least one hour per week.
• Class Days & Time:
English-2: Wednesday & Friday [03.00 am – 05:00 pm].
Special English Spoken Practice Class: Saturday [11:00 am – 01:00 pm].
English-1: Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday [03.00am – 05:00pm].
Special English Spoken Practice Class: Friday [11:00 am – 01:00 pm].
• Keep the mobile on vibrate in the class.
• Students will submit their assignments by sheet or through email.
• In every class, speaking will be practiced on different topics.
• After graduation, students will have to finish the internship program [for two weeks].
• If students miss more than one week of English class, they will be dropped from the class.
• If students refuse to turn in homework for more than two weeks, they will be dropped from the class.


The practices are done by:

Speaking	To be able to speak in different places on different topics and practice from diagram.
Writing	To be able to write paragraph, applications, cover letters, bio-data etc. and make portfolio.
Reading	To be able to read any passes or paragraphs fluently and the pronunciation will be corrected
Listening	To be able to understand English by listening and answer from given questions on that.
Question Answering	To be able to make questions and answer to those. Students will practice by answering some questions to one another and ask about class room objects.
Submitting assignments	Students submit their assignments on class related topics and BLOG. They will type in cybercafé and submit those through email to: mn.bipa@gmail.com ; bipa19@yahoo.com
Browsing internet	Students will browse some website and blogspot site and submit assignments as required by the teacher.

Some Pictures of English Class & Students of Nari Jibon:

I am [yellow dress] with the English students in Blog Workshop

Lee Goldman is in the English Class

A student is taking her prize from Mr. Rafiqul Islam [Project Director of Nari Jibon]

Sufia [NJ student] with the visiting Teachers [Aruna, Muniyat, Stella and Lee]

Lee with the English Class Students

Stella is in the English Class

Lee Goldman, Stella and Aruna are in the English Class

Stella, Muniyat and Aruna are in the English Class

The Visiting Teachers of Nari Jibon Project

By Mohtarimun Nahar [Bipa]
Supervisor of English Section & Editing
Nari Jibon Project

Nari Jibon project is a training program. In Nari Jibon Project we have two English sections: English-1 [Basic Grammar, Reading, Writing and Speaking] and English-2 [Advanced Speaking, Reading & Writing]. Beside these classes two Practice Classes [Special English Spoken Practice Class] are held on Friday and Saturday morning. I am the teacher of these sections. Some times many visiting teachers come to take English classes to encourage the students.They do a great job. Students enjoy a lot to attend the class with them. That’s why I would like to introduce our visiting teachers with all the bloggers.

Shaina Hyder

She is Sociology major at Florida State University. She is most interested in gender and work.

Stella

She is from Canada. She is BA in Asian Studies, Masters in Education and PHD in Multicultural Studies [Specialization in Theatre]. She worked as a University Professor at Lesley University in Boston, University of Phoenix and Skogit Ualley College. She taught Philosophy, Theatre, Education, Ethics and Communication etc.

Aruna Dahal

She is the students of the American International School at Dhaka. She has a sister and a brother. She is sixteen years old. She decided to come to help out the women centre as part of her service hours. She has lived in many countries, such as- Nepal, Cambodia and Laos etc. She thinks Dhaka has been an amazing experience for her especially when she gets to come to help such wonderful women.

Muniyat Haque

She has lived in Canada. She studies in AIS/D. She wants to study in Economics and be an Economist.

Lee Goldman

She teaches math at the American International School at Dhaka. She has a husband and two children. She came from the United States in Virginia. She came to know about Nari Jibon from her friend Rick Davis. In the States she was a teacher in a girls school

Coaching centre

Translated by: Golam Rabbany Sujon
Written in Bengali: Nurun Naher Nipa

Coaching center is very well-known to the students. In the coaching centre students are given teaches in a special way. Coaching centers attract students by coloring poster, banner & festoon etc. They give 100% assurance university admission. They also create many short-cut method of education for examination. Coaching centre give assurance by saying that if students follow their learning/teaching process, they will must admitted in the medical or BUET. Coaching centre is the name of a play where education and other training included. In briefly coaching centre are divided into following categories

1. Coaching centre for special teaching
2. Admission coaching
3. Computer & driving etc technical coaching
4. Language learning coaching

For that reason our knowledge is being dependent on the coaching centre along with the elements of education. Coaching centers are spreading all over the country. Only in the capital city there is a large number of coaching centre. A large number of coaching centre also found outside of the city. Coaching centre is a easy way of passing over for the students. It is also true that most of the brightest students come to these coaching centers. The value of famous and well-known coaching center is high. But coaching centers have both site bad and good effects.

A Pandora’s Box

By Shaina Hyder

Hi everyone! My name is Shaina Hyder, and I am a visiting English teacher at Nari Jibon this summer. I am working with the Spoken English 2 students, and I am really enjoying my time here. My students are already so eloquent and well spoken! We cover the basics, of course, such as interview skills, story telling, telling time, and giving descriptions and stating goals, but we also have discussions about the limitations that women face in Bangladeshi society and how to overcome them. The first couple days were certainly quite a challenge; though the students know English, adjusting to my accent (and me to theirs!) was a bigger barrier than I could have imagined. But we’re on our way now, with many gestures, a couple of pantomimes, and a lot of patience.

In the states, I am a Sociology major at Florida State University, and am most interested in gender and work. This summer, I hope to be studying the impact of industrialization and globalization on Bangladeshi women, and how the scope of women’s work has changed. More women are entering the Bangladeshi workforce than ever before. Most of the students in my classes are career minded women, while most of their mothers are housewives. I find this massive shift in a single generation to be very interesting.

I am having so much fun in Bangladesh this summer, and am so fortunate to have been given the opportunity to work with the Nari Jibon Project.

Some Pictures of my Teaching at Nari Jibon Project:

Education for Women

By Aysha Parveen

A nation can not get progress without education because education is the back bone of a nation. Every people should be educated. Women are the part of our nation. Without education women can not prosper in their life. An educated mother can make an educated family. If women can prosper in their life then a nation can be developed.

Bangladesh is a small and developing country. Education is the part of our life. So Bangladesh will not be success without a proper education. Most of the people are women here. For this reason women are the very important part of our country. An educated woman can help to build a developed nation. Every woman will be a mother. An educated woman can take and make decision in every step in life. They can build their career in many sectors, like: - computer, banking, education, NGO and many other government sectors. As a result our nation can be connected with the other development countries. It helps to develop a country in many sectors. So education is very important for every woman’s life.

Bangladeshi women are very helpless because most of the women of our country are illiterate. They are tortured in many ways because most of them are uneducated. An educated woman can get progress in her life very easily. In the conclusion, we can say that every woman should be educated. It is really very important for a nation.

Ekushey Boi Mela-2008

By Firoza Begum Poly

Boi, Kitab, Postak, Book, any word we use, is comprised of some individual sounds or letters. These sorts of word make a sentence. So do some sentence with a language. Disciplined and well furnished sentences are represented as poem, story, novel, drama, essays, lyric etc in a book. We embrace new development, match our experience, deepen our thought, and enlightened our cherished dream by reading a book. If this book is written in Bangla, we feel much comfort while reading it than the book of any other language.

As a part of nursing and promoting Bangla, Bangla language and literature Bangla Academy arranges a month long book fair having slogan of “Read book and collect them for future use” this year in the month of February 2008 at the academy premises . The first Ekushey book fair was held in 1974. This year the 23rd Ekushey book fair is on going with necessary formalities including inauguration by Chief Advisor Dr. Fakuruddin Ahmed. Centering Bangla Academy as many as 374 stalls are offering different sorts of publications to the book lovers and visitors. People from all walks of life are rushing to the fair and standing in a long queue enters in the mela not even showing a bit of disturbance. Everyday thousand of visitors thorn the mela from 3 pm to 9 pm.

This year the environment of the mela is more neat and clean. More space is occupied with number of stalls. Rate of sale is also satisfactory. A leading essay writer Dr. Anisuzzaman calls for by saying that a pioneer publisher Chittaranjan Babu took the initiative to arrange Boi Mela at the academy primises and in response to his call almost every writer of Bangladesh took part in the mela and sold their own books by sitting on old newspapers. Dr. Zaman grieves that every year we are losing some good writers for ever.

Shamim Ahmed, a migrated writer, estimates that the woman writer is also coming forward with their creative writings. She herself has come to the fair from England to get her poetry “Giol Gakham” sold. She insists on the matter that we should not undermine the woman writer by indicating them as woman writer rather we should evaluate them as a writer not by gender. Without discriminating the writer we must think of the standard of the respective writes -up.

Chayanat, a publishing house, joins the book fair this year for the first time. Wahidul Haq, the owner of Chayanat, has published some creative books for the mela. Pathachari, Anushilan, Kanthashilan, Rabindra Sangith Sammellan etc. are mentionable of them.

Rehana Ashiqur Rahman, a radio & television artist, has written & published her own book Rajkumarir Ganmadin, Rajputra, Sindabad Er Galpa and Jolakannaya.

Bangladesh Computer Association has also joined the fair. Riki, a sales woman of BCA stall, who is also a student of Philosophy at Jagannath University, marks the changing learning trends of the child. BCA has come up with audio-visual learning materials for the children. Riki says that the main focus of the BCA is to free the children fear of traditional learning system and to replace audio-visual and animated learning materials.

Bangla is our mother tounge. We feel eternal peace in speaking Bangla. Though it was supposed to be spoken Bangla as our birth right, we had to acquire it by exchange of blood, which is not a floral achievement. We had to sacrifice a lot. So we are expected to do something more to develop the Bangla Language and Literature. Salam, Barakat, Rafiq, Jabber contributed to Bangla by embracing death in 1952. It is our great achievement that their supreme sacrifice on the 21st February 1952 receives international acknowledgement International Mother Language Day. I am sharing some photos of Ekushe Boimela, 2008.

“Give me an Educated Mother; I will give you an Educated Nation”

By Nurunnahar Islam Munni

It is told that, education is the backbone of any nation. Without education none can prosper in life. Nobody can live a happy and successful life. But most of the time girls can not continue their education for many reasons. Therefore they become dependent on men and they are to face many unexpected situations.

Educated girls can lead her life with a good planning. They get physical and mental satisfaction than uneducated girls. She knows how to enjoy life and keep a happy family.

I think that educated girls are different from other girls. If girls become educated they will be conscious about their rights. Then they will be able to conduct their life in right way.

An educated mother can maintain her family and teach her children properly & give proper guidance. She can be very conscious about her children’s health and nutrition. She is more conscious about her family than an uneducated girl. Therefore it is told that “Give me an educated mother, I will give you an educated nation”. So girls’ educations are not necessary only for herself or for her family, but it is also necessary for the whole nation.

Girls are learning in Nari Jibon English class

She can go ahead with men. She can remove superstitious of her family members by her wisdom and knowledge. She can provide better care for her family.

She can do job and can help her family financially. Day by day the living cost is increasing. So it is becoming tough to maintain a family on one’s income. An educated girl can do job and can help her family financially, better than an uneducated girl.

So we can say that if we can get an educated mother in every family, we will be able to give an educated and healthy future for the new generation.

The Mentality has changed on Women’s outside working

Salma Siddiqa Mumu

To be a girl I feel that women are playing an important role every where in our life. Now they are not confined within the four walls of their parent’s or husbands’ house. They have come out from the kitchens and they are working beside the men. They are also participating in all the developing activities of the Government. They can maintain their families as well as doing outside works.

By getting higher education women are becoming pilots, doctors, engineers, teachers, administrators etc. They gain the ability to prove their worth. They are contributing a lot in the economy of the country. Now people can realize that true development of the county is impossible if women stay at home.

There is no need to say that women are playing a great role in the socio-economic area of our country. Women are participating in various activities to be financially independent. Day by day the financial pressures of children’s education, accommodation and daily expenses are becoming high. So they can’t maintain their families on their husband’s income. So some women are working because their incomes are needed to solve the growing costs of living. They just want to help their husband. Many families, especially the poor families’ welcome the women’s extra income.

Women are getting a great respect in the society by their earning power. But of course there is still a long way to cross to discover their full potentiality in the job marker.

If I were A Prime Minister of Bangladesh!!!

By: Ruma Akter

Human life is full of dreams. Most of the time, it travels in the dream land. But all the dreams do not come true. I have a dream to be A Prime Minister of Bangladesh. Though it is an impossible wish, but I really wish that. If it would happen in my life, I would like to use all the opportunities to develop our country.

Our country is an undeveloped country. It is surrounded by poverty, terrorism and nepotism etc. If I were the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, I would make the country as self-reliant. I would offer a terrorism and nepotism free society for the people of Bangladesh. I would try to turn the wheel of fate of the poverty-stricken people.

Education is the precondition of development. If I were the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, I would make the education compulsory for all.

Bangladesh belongs as undeveloped country. Most of the people live under the poverty line. Unemployment is also a great problem in our country. For the alleviation of unemployment problem and poverty, I would take some effective steps, such as-- initiative of industrializations, agricultural development etc. To develop agriculture I would try to use scientific methods in agricultural sector. Thus I would help to raise the economical side of the country.

I would like to change my country by investing money in agriculture, developing the technical education, solving the basic requirements of life and increasing the rights of women.

I would try to do everything to make the people happy and prosperous of my country. That’s why I wish -- if I were A Prime Minister!!!

Teaching is a noble and honorable profession

Written by Nasima Akter Moly

Hello readers. I am a student of Dhaka University. I would like to share with you that how important the role of the teachers for our life and nation. Teaching is a noble and honorable profession because teachers can build up people, a society or a nation through teaching. Actually teachers are valuable assets in our country. The nation may expect to get an honest and sincere teacher. Teachers always try to teach the higher studies among all the students. They can help to awake their students. They also can make the students as an honest, ideal and sincere people. They try to help to enhance confidence. A good teacher can bring out hidden qualities from each student. As a result the whole country will be able to become an educated and skilled nation through their teaching. When I admitted in Dhaka University then everything were unknown to me. I didn’t have any ideas about the other people, economy, cultural association and religion etc. But now I’ve totally changed within 4/5 years. All of teachers of our Dhaka University are wise and honorable person. They teach us on social equality, good behavior, sovereignty, liberty, our history and current situation. They didn’t keep limit of our knowledge on few books. A teacher can become a good friend. They solve our problems as like as our parents. Sometimes teacher can behave rude to teach and enhance our prosperity. They give their valuable advice for removing our critical crisis. They also show us how well we can serve our nation and we will do work for our future. But sometimes we see teachers are enrolled in corruption. Hence we are really shocked. Because they are the architect of the nation and we learn from them many things. We should earn more knowledge; so that we can reach to our destination. Without teachers we can’t learn properly. If all qualities remain with us; such as-- honesty, integrity, sincerity, modesty, loyalty and patriotism; it will be very easy to reach to our destination. These qualities will help you to become autonomous; that we can earn by learning from teachers.