Primary Students to Receive All Textbooks by January: Advisor
Primary and Mass Education Adviser, Professor Dr. Bidhan Ranjan Roy Podder, has assured that primary-level students will receive all their textbooks by January, though the traditional celebratory events will not take place this year.
Dr. Podder made these remarks while speaking to local reporters during the inauguration of a two-day workshop organized by the Directorate of Primary Education at the RDRS premises on Sunday afternoon. The event was attended by prominent officials, including the Director General of the Directorate of Primary Education, Dr. Md Abdul Hakim, Rangpur Divisional Deputy Director Md. Azizur Rahman, and Assistant Director Nazrul Islam.
The workshop, titled *"Fifth Phase Primary Education Development Programme"*, was organized by the Department of Primary Education, where Dr. Podder served as the chief guest.
Discussing the quality of teaching in primary schools, Dr. Podder noted disparities in teacher competence, particularly among those recruited before the 2013 nationalization of primary schools. However, he highlighted significant improvements in physical infrastructure and the overall quality of teachers since then.
“We have our own training programmes to enhance teachers’ skills. If a teacher shows potential, they can be trained to improve their performance,” he stated.
Dr. Podder outlined the primary goals of the Directorate of Primary Education, emphasizing that fifth-grade students should be proficient in reading and writing in their mother tongue, expressing their thoughts concisely, and performing basic arithmetic operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
During his visits to government primary schools in Nilphamari and Rangpur, he observed well-equipped facilities but noted less-than-optimal student attendance. “Despite having teachers and good infrastructure, students are not achieving the expected outcomes. This issue is consistent with the results of annual nationwide surveys,” he said.
Addressing textbook distribution for the new academic year, Dr. Podder expressed confidence that all primary students would receive their books on time in January. However, he clarified that no large-scale distribution festival would be held, as in previous years.
Regarding curriculum changes, he stated that while the primary syllabus remains largely unchanged, updates have been made to the textbooks for grades three, four, and five. “The fourth- and fifth-grade textbooks now include stories and illustrations that reflect the struggles and aspirations of students and the public,” he added.
