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'Shiksa Andolan Mancha� Launches Movement Against Government�s Proposed one stream Education at SSC level {Part-2} Mukto-Mona Dhaka Contact
Published on February 13, 2007 From Previous Part The Movement Enters Crucial Period
Pen is Stronger than brutal government power
Earlier, on 17th October, a newly formed organization projected itself as �Bangladesh Shiksa o Shiksa Andolan Samanway Forum�, arranged a seminar on Government Proposed one stream Education curriculum at SSC level in which Dr. Zafar Iqbal of Department of Computer Science, Shah Jalal University of Science & Technology (SUST) presented the key-note article under the title �Ekhmukhi Shiksa: Jatir Janya Asa na Ashanka?� (Uni-track Education: An aspiration or Fear for the Nation?). The main points of the article very much reflected the views of the Shiksa Andolan Manch as described in our earlier dispatch (Please see part 1). The salient points of his article however may be once again are stated here:
� This so-called uni-track system kills the secular aspect of our education system when it proposes to make religion as compulsory for all. � The students would be overburdened with large number of different subjects although the standard of learning will be lowered � Science and Mathematics would be affected and its standard have been lowered deliberately � The arguments put forwarded by the Government planner are futile, and those are equally applicable to present three stream curriculum imparted at SSC.
Dr. Iqbal warns in his article that it is sure that government would not be able to implement the scheme with in the time frame it announced because of shear physical strains, but attempting to do this the government will make the life of the new entrants at SSC level uncalled for misery. �We hope�, says Dr. Iqbal, �a good sense will return to the government, and it will abandon this suicidal �Ekmukhi Education� proposal�. �Please do not try to do any fearful experiments on our young students as genii-pigs�, says Dr. Iqbal.
The presentation of the paper followed lively discussion in which many learned educationists and teachers including Professor Harun ar Rashid, Professor Ajoy Roy, Mrs. Hena Das, Dr. A K Azad Choudhury, Professor Arefin Siddiq, Anu Mohammad took part. Professor Roy in his deliberation strongly criticized the government and its attitude of implementing the so-called one stream education at SSC level alleging that government�s main attitude of doing this is to make the remaining secular character of the general education more religious biased so that distinction between the Madrasah system education and general education system is withered away. If such evil scheme is successfully implemented our younger generation will be religiously blind, obscurantist and devoid of freethinking. This will make the path smooth for turning Bangladesh a Taleban style society and state, the dream of the Islamite fundamentalists. Professor Roy warned against such long-term design on the part of the government and the fundamentalists like Jamatis sitting inside the government. He called for a united movement from all fronts cultural, social and political for making the society a true secular, liberal and democratic, which will pave the path of introducing a truly �universal, non-discriminatory, scientific, secular and unitary� form of education system. Other speakers too more or less supported the view expressed in the article- pointing out however that mere abandoning the present scheme is not enough we have to work heard for a true secular system of education.
Educationists, teachers and intellectuals continuously have been writing articles against the government scheme in local dailies, which created an impact among the guardians and common people. Such write-ups helped the movement getting momentum more and more. Some of the writers are worth mentioning- Mrs. Hena Das, Munir Hosain, Dr. Siddiqur Rahman, Mr. Zainul Abedin, A N Rasheda, Muhammad Ashrafuzzaman, Shahidul Islam. M M Akash etc�
Following these deliberations several days later a united platform was formed with several teachers� organizations with Dr. Zafar Iqbal as its convener. Shiksa Andolan Mancha supported this move and expressed its solidarity to work with the platform, and the General secretary was to represent Shiksa Andolan Manch in the platform and maintain liaison.
In the meanwhile Shiksa Andolan Mancha took the movement to remote parts of the country through its network extending all most all the districts and many Upazila (sub-districts). Its leaders including its president Professor Ajoy Roy extensively traveled to take the movement to grass root level. The Mancha decided to hold a mass rally some time in mid December, preferably on 17th December following our victory day. Our proposal was adopted by the �united platform�. It was further added that on that day �a whole day token hunger strike� would take place, which will precede the mass rally.
Shiska Andolan Mancha held Meeting of Exchange of views
As a part of the movement Shiska Andolan Mancha held an extensive meeting with the representatives of different Teachers� Organizations, United Platform, Students representatives and guardians on November 25, 2005. Professor Roy, president of the Mancha welcoming the attendants among whom present were Dr. Zafar Iqbal, Dr. Arefin Siddiq, President of DUTA, Dr. Akhteruzzaman, General secretary of DUTA, Professor Akhteruzzaman, President of Bangladesh College and University Teachers� Association, Professor Amirul Islam, President of JUTA, Dr. Siddiqur Rahman read out the concept paper on behalf of the Shiksa Andolan Mancha and announced Mancha�s action programme. The participants whole heartedly supported and accepted the programme. The speakers expressed that unitedly various organizations will follow the programme from one platform as well as from individual platforms of different organizations. The student-representative whole-heartedly vowed to participate in the programme announced by the Shiska Andolan Mancha. (to be continued)
The concept paper is enclosed herewith as an attachment.
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Part 1 2
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