“Creating a peaceful environment

and

preventing dropouts”

Assalamu Alaikum.

I am Dilruba Khatun, Head Teacher Dadash Govt. Primary School, Puthya, Rajshahi. I think every teacher has a ray in his hand. The students have extended their hands to be enlightened in that ray. Enlighten their education their souls. Only a teacher can improve the mental state of the student, develop the student's behavior, mind and soul. Which has a far-reaching effect on the student's mood and attitude. The school needs to be turned into a place of fearless, pure joy and trust for the students. It needs to be turned into a suitable care center for the physical and mental development of the student. The school should be a perfect place for students to dream rather than a competition center for getting GPA-5. My school is a totally rural school. I joined this school in 2010. This was a B-Grade school and very run down. About 10% of children in the catchment area were not enrolled. Many did not do classes properly. Not everyone could pass to the next class. And those who passed, they passed with very poor grades. About 5% of children did not complete primary education. Solving the problems was a big challenge for us. To overcome this problem we took some innovative measures.

Among these innovative activities, we first refurbish old classrooms to prevent dropouts and increase school attendance. Gradually we build an attractive Bangabandhu corner, Sheikh Russell corner, flower garden, multimedia classroom, classroom book corner, school library room, safe water, and a wash block in the school. Old and faded school dresses are changed with new school dresses with the help of parents.

Our innovations to prevent student dropout and increase attendance:

1. Midday meal

2. Honesty shop

3. Multimedia classroom

4. Wall of humanity

5. Health Corner

6. Pen Bank

7. Wall Magazine

8. Bangabandhu Corner

9. Classroom Book Corner

10. Poet Introduction Corner

11. Flower garden

12. Safe water supply

13. History of Bangladesh

14. Decorated classroom

15. Integrity strategy

16. Problem-based learning

17. Debate ceremony

18. ICT class

19. One day one word activities

20.‘Hatekhori’ Festival

21. Picnic Reading Book Fest, Science fair, Art and craft fair

22. Taking special care of backward students.

I received the National Level Primary Education Award for successfully reducing the school dropout rate in 2022. The journey behind this achievement was quite unique. The parents in my school's area are very poor, and the society was bound by religious barriers. It was a superstitious and religiously orthodox community where practices such as child marriage and child labor persisted. The biggest challenge was that parents of children with special child student were reluctant to send them to school. Unfortunately, individuals with special needs in our country are often neglected by their families. While some families provide more support, others offer less, leading these individuals to endure a life of neglect and deprivation due to societal negligence.

I wanted to end child marriage, child labor, and discrimination against individuals with disabilities. During a child survey, I discovered that 22 such children were not enrolled in school. Among them, there were 11 children with special needs, one of whom was severely disabledf our engaged in child labor, and six facing various family problems preventing them from attending school.  It made me very sad.  I didn't know what to do. Then  I personally approached each parent and requested them to send their children to school. After taking responsibility for these children, I provided them with extra support and assistance during school holidays to help them catch up academically. Fortunately, we had 5 teachers and 3 professors from Rajshahi University, who generously supported these children by providing school uniforms, bags, and educational materials.

Currently, these 22 students are leading normal lives and achieving good results in school. Among them, there is a student named Naima, who is severely disabled. Naima is unable to speak or hear, and unfortunately, our school lacks trained teachers to cater to her specific needs. Nevertheless, I am determined to enroll Naima in school to help her regain a sense of normalcy in life. Currently, Naima is in the 4th grade student. Despite her disabilities, Naima possesses 1beautiful handwriting and shows a strong aptitude for studies.

This year, I also took the initiative to build a proper toilet in Naima's house for her safety, as her home previously lacked standard sanitation facilities. Their parents were very happy with this effort. Witnessing the smiles on the faces of my students with special needs is the most rewarding aspect of my work. The school has now become renowned as a dream school throughout the country. The villagers, who were once hesitant to support me, have become the school's biggest advocates, offering their love and assistance. As a result, our school has achieved a zero dropout rate.

In recognition of our achievements, Dhadash Government Primary School was selected as the best school at the national level in the category of "Schools that have significantly reduced dropout rates" in the National Primary Education Award 2022. Formulating a school vision requires an actionable dream, and it demands immense passion to make that dream a reality. Only with dedication can success be attained. I want my students to be good people besides studies.  I hope that their light will illuminate the future world. Thank you.