Visited a school run by BRAC, the country's largest NGO. Saw class 1 and class 3, children aged 8-10. Parents’ occupations include rickshaw wallahs, day labourers including construction. Children’s work: boys often work in handicrafts (outside of house); girls work in home. Class runs for 4 hours per day in 2 shifts. There are about 36 children in each class. Children study Bangla, maths, English, social studies and also spend time dancing and singing. There are no fees and everything (books, pencils etc) is provided for free. The classes were noticeably free of repetition and children's work was up on display on the walls.
As I was about to leave they said the children would like to talk to me. In an awkward exchange the children took turns to stand up and ask me questions. One asked 'Any advice for us?' - I said 'Well erm you should probably study hard,' feeling a bit hypocritical. I asked the children if they liked school and they all said yes loudly. I asked what they liked /least/ about school. This made them glance around nervously and no one replied until the teacher picked one student to stand up and say something. But her reply was 'Nothing - everything is very good'. I asked the children what they wanted to be when they were older. A couple of girls said 'teacher' so I asked, who-all wants to be a teacher? Nearly all of the girls and a couple of the boys stood up. The remaining children wanted to be doctors, engineers or policemen. Apparently none of them were interested in going in to business or making money.
Afterwards visited some of the houses of the children's parents. This was by far the worst slum I have seen, claustrophobic, hot and full of stove fumes, with flimsy shacks being built literally on top of each other and only very narrow, muddy corridors between them.
BRAC School, Mirpur
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3 comments:
interesting that the children see the school as "at least" better than not being able to go there....perhaps this explains their hestitation. I guess it is also so that the aspirations of the children are very much shaped by the idealisation of education expressed by the teachers?? It would be interesting to contrast the aspirations of parents and children at home with this sanitised version from the school....but I guess that's what your survey will pull out..
Steve
Can anybody give me the address of BRAAC school at Mirpur? please help me out
To be precise, this school was in Pollabi -- near Cholontika Cluber Bastee, Block E, Pollabi. The school was just off road 10.
Hope this helps - contact BRAC themselves if you can't find it.
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