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The government will soon launch a pilot project to provide cooked midday meals to primary schoolchildren, State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj said today.
Under the pilot, mothers of students will be involved in preparing and distributing the meals, he said.
Hajjaj made the remarks while addressing an orientation programme for head teachers titled “Feeding Programme in Government Primary Schools” and a view-exchange meeting on improving the quality of primary education at Shaheed Satu Hall here as the chief guest.
Drawing on experiences from Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu in India, the government plans to test different models in which vegetables, eggs, fish and other ingredients will be procured from local markets and meals prepared and distributed with the participation of local mothers, he said.
“The methods may vary, but the government’s sole objective is to ensure that every child receives safe, quality and nutritious food on time,” the state minister said.
He said irregularities and complaints related to the existing midday meal programme had declined significantly because of effective monitoring by mothers’ committees.
Direct involvement of mothers at the local level is helping ensure greater transparency and accountability in the quality, supply and distribution of food, he said.
“The participation of mothers is making the midday meal programme more transparent, accountable and safe for children,” Hajjaj added.
The state minister said the Prime Minister has set two major goals: ensuring that no child remains out of school and that every child receives quality education.
The primary responsibility for achieving these goals lies with teachers and education officials at the grassroots level, he said.
Field-level officials must play a more effective role in ensuring students’ attendance, classroom activities, learning progress and a congenial educational environment, Hajjaj added.
He said changes were being introduced to the teacher training system so that teachers would not have to remain away from their schools for extended periods, thereby contributing to teacher shortages.
Measures are also being taken to introduce performance-based promotion, a new transfer policy and professional development opportunities for teachers. A policy is also being considered to provide school-specific hardship allowances for teachers serving in remote areas.
To address teacher shortages, work is progressing to fill vacant posts, recruit head teachers and ensure the required number of teachers in schools, he said.
Initiatives are also being taken to provide schools with essential support staff, including night guards and MLSS personnel.
On primary education infrastructure, Hajjaj said a movable infrastructure model was being developed for areas where schools are repeatedly threatened with displacement because of river erosion and other factors.
Various models already implemented in remote and vulnerable areas will be reviewed, and suitable models will be considered for adoption under the government system, he said.
“Curriculum, teachers, monitoring, infrastructure and technology—if necessary, reforms and improvements can be ensured in these five key areas—the country’s primary education system will move in the right direction,” Hajjaj said.
He stressed that improving the quality of education requires comprehensive reforms rather than changes in any single area.
“Modernising the curriculum, ensuring competent and responsible teachers, establishing an effective monitoring system, improving school infrastructure and ensuring appropriate use of technology must all be addressed together,” he said.
“Coordinated work in these five areas will be the key to achieving the desired transformation in primary education,” he added.
Lawmaker from the Chapainawabganj-3 constituency Md Nurul Islam Bulbul, District Council Administrator Md Harunur Rashid and Feeding Programme Project Director Md Abul Amin attended the event as special guests. Chapainawabganj Deputy Commissioner Abu Saleh Md Musa Jangi chaired the programme.
Head teachers of government primary schools from different upazilas of the district also attended the event.