DHAKA TRIBUNE
Op-Ed
11
Friday, May 9, 2014
Addressing challenges to learning n M Ehsanur Rahman
location of the classroom as per needs.
n a context where out-of-school children or primary school dropout students cannot attend formal schools because of its structured system, the flexibility in the Multi-Grade Teaching Learning (MGTL) approach of Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM) offers an answer for their access and learning. An MGTL class provides a flexible class environment to schoolage children, who could not enroll in school or have dropped out early for a wide variety of complex and often interlinked reasons. Catering to individual learning difficulties and facilitating learning by children at their own pace are the two basic features of DAM’s MGTL approach. DAM’s MGTL process as a contribution to the primary education in Bangladesh has been developed through the UNIQUE Project, which is being implemented with the support of the EU. At the backdrop of DAM’s experience in Non-Formal Primary Education (NFPE) over the last three decades, the MGTL approach has been developed, tested, and scaled up as an effective NFPE process. In this article, the essential features and process of the approach are described precisely, with particular reference to the UNIQUE project.
Assessment as a learning process
What will her government be remembered for?
SYED ZAKIR HOSSAIN
Adding to the list?
A
n Khawaza Main Uddin bank robbery captured headlines, incumbents amassed vast wealth, gold smuggling appears to be a regular trade, sale of adulterated foods is still rampant, rural hospital patients remain unattended, public exam question papers are leaked, tenders are manipulated, and violence dominates campuses. Surpassing all of this, human life has become cheaper as we can tell from the recent spate of abductions and killing of people. Meanwhile, the killing of Bangladeshis along the border has not come to a halt. “Where is the government?” cries a newspaper editorial. Obviously by default, we have a government which has shown its authority by suppressing the rights and views of everyone else. So why should we bother about a few signs of governance failure, especially when these may be the result of excesses allegedly indulged in by the most powerful elements within the government or the ones associated with the ruling party? However, for a man who hasn’t completely discarded his ethics, it is not easy to comprehend the reasons behind the misuse of power by rulers or their desperation to cling to that power by force. While in power, a ruler can censor criticism and even annihilate potential adversaries. Also, a tyrant can display sadistic joy in sitting on the body of a victim or even by desecrating the deceased. Yet, even the most powerful ruler can’t control the public from talking about the state of their governance.
I asked a senior friend, aligned with the Awami League, about the justification of holding power without public support. “This government would correct many anomalies and take a lot of populist steps,” he said. Sheikh Hasina’s government, constrained by a shortage of revenue and sluggish investments, will try to accomplish what the president of the most powerful country often fails to do – convince the people. That too, with serious democratic deficiencies and so much burden of backers and beneficiaries.
tunists question why the naïve ones are so obsessed with the righteousness of actions in “realpolitik” – the world has never been just. Cunning people are often short-sighted, forgetting that wrongdoers have never been spared either. We are witness to the downfall of a number of powerful rulers of the 20th century. Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines, General Augusto Pinochet of Chile, Saddam Hussain of Iraq, and Muammar al-Gaddafi of Libya (don’t forget HM Ershad!) ruled their
Sheikh Hasina’s government will try to accomplish what the president of the most powerful country often fails to do – convince the people
The government covertly boasts of backing from an influential external power, believing it to be enough to keep its rule unchallenged. What a way of building self-confidence in national politics, that too without the people’s involvement. Widening alienation of our “dominant minority” — the ruling class — from moral values, social norms, and political ideals has left the country unguarded and the citizens helpless. In a reign of injustice, too much compromise with immoral acts all around has metamorphosed many so-called “good people” into virtual cowards. Frustrated, restless, and rapacious, society becomes sullied while the elite seem resigned to the situation. Oppor-
countries for a long period, but history terms them simply as autocrats. Despite being elected twice, George W Bush has been ranked as one of the worst presidents of the United States for his wrong-headed policies. Babrak Karmal and Dr Najibullah of Afghanistan became presidents with Soviet intervention and they were treated as traitors by the Afghans. Lhendup Dorji, the chief minister of Sikkim during its merger with India, is widely referred to as a symbol of betrayal in his motherland. Apartheid South African rulers had kept Nelson Mandela in jail for 27 years but could not change his destiny as one of the best statesmen of his time. Israel’s Ariel Sharon had
confronted Palestine leader Yasser Arafat both in the battlefield and in politics, but the former was despised for his hawkish policy and the latter was loved worldwide for his cause. Nawab Sirajuddoula’s army chief Mir Zafar Ali Khan was successful in ensuring the former’s defeat in the battle of Plassey by collaborating with the East India Company, only to emerge as a permanent betrayer in history. Nisar Ali Titumir proved his mad love for his motherland by fighting from a “fort made of bamboo” against a far superior colonial army, embracing martyrdom in the end. Despite fighting a losing battle, Titumir is considered a hero. It is actually a matter of choice of a politician whether she/he wants to be nondito or nindito, Bangla words that sound similar but bear opposite meanings – “celebrated” and “condemned” respectively. Sheikh Hasina’s AL government will be remembered for the share market crashing twice, the Padma Bridge corruption case, the swindling of bank money (Hall-Mark and other scams), patronisation of godfathers, the BDR rebellion that resulted in so many unnecessary deaths, presidential clemency to murderers, the Sagor-Runi killing, politicisation of public institutions, late-night crackdown on Hefazat-e-Islam, a farcical election held to stay in power, extra-judicial killings, and political persecution. What else does the AL leadership, super-conscious of history, aim to add to the list before calling it a day? l Khawaza Main Uddin is Executive Editor at ICE Business Times.
India’s election and secularism n Mohammad Amjad Hossain
T
he election for 543 seats of the Lok Sabha in the largest democracy in the world is nearing completion, beginning on April 7. It is expected that more than 814 million will have cast their votes this year, which makes the voting pool larger than the total populations of the United States and Western Europe combined. The last phase of the election is due on May 12, but the trend in this election appears to be non-secular versus secular, as has been reflected in the campaign by the BJP versus National Congress and other political parties in India. Secularism in India is experiencing serious problems, as can be seen in the campaign. It is a violation of India’s constitution, which declared in the preamble that the people of India “having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a sovereign socialist secular democratic Republic and to secure to all its citizens: Justice, social, economic, and political.” Both the prime minister designate of BJP, Narendra Modi, and Subramanium Swami, vice president of BJP, are reportedly involved in the campaign against secularism. In Assam, both Narnedra Modi and Subramanian Swami appear to be critical of the existence of alleged
illegal Bangladeshis in India while Narendra Modi identified the Hindu community in Bangladesh as sufferers. Therefore, he assured that Hindu migrants would be accommodated in India and detention camps would be done away with as soon his party comes to power.
If the BJP comes to power, it will complicate existing problems between Bangladesh and India Addressing in Silchar in Assam in February this year, Narendra Modi drew attention to the fact that, during the rule of the BJP in 19982004, Hindus from Pakistan were accommodated in India. It was reported by The Times of India on February 22. This trend had also been reflected in West Bengal during the BJP campaign. Here too Narendra Modi has made it crystal clear that Bangladeshi “infiltrators” would be expelled from India after May 16, as if the BJP would capture power this time while criticising the chief minister of
West Bengal Mamata Banerjee, who is chief of Trinamool Congress. Narendra Modi is of the opinion that Mamata Banarjee cared more for the chair than for the development of West Bengal, and that her face brightened up seeing Bangladeshis while considering faces from other states alien. The chief minister of West Bengal did not spare Narendra Modi from her criticism of him being the “butcher of Gujarat.” Gujarat saw the worst type of Hindu-Muslim riot in 2002 when 2,000 Muslims were massacred on his watch, while 400 Hindus were not spared either. Many Muslims were displaced as well. The BJP has been, in fact, espousing Hindutva along with its fraternal organisation, Sangh Parivar. This ideology has, time and again, been reflected in the calls for a uniform civil code, the destruction of the historical Babri Mosque in Ayodhya in December 1992, and in place establishing the Ram temple, during the anti-Muslim riots of Mumbai in 1992-1993. The BJP is the political wing of Rashtriya Swaymmsevak Sangh (RSS) – an extremist organisation. Sectarian riots in the Baska and Kokrajhan districts of Assam on the evening of May 1 saw the killing of 31 Muslims by suspected Bodo tribal people. The sectarian riots in Assam are a reflection of the negative cam-
paign launched by Narendra Modi in February. When the BJP was in power, a push-back trend against alleged illegal Bangladeshis was in effect, but the trend had finally come to a standstill when the left-front Communist Party from West Bengal, led by Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacherjee, vehemently opposed it. This time Mamata Banerjee appears to be against the BJP’s anti-secularism. The push-in campaign had begun in 2003 when the BNP was in power. It was initiated by Indian Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani, a BJP senior leader, who was on record saying there was an alleged 2 crore Bangladeshis living illegally in India. The same orchestrated campaign is now being repeated, this time by the BJP. From the comments in the election campaign, it appears if the BJP comes to power, it will complicate existing problems between Bangladesh and India instead of resolving them. This ominous sign is really bad for Bangladesh. At the same time, the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty’s influence in India will erode if the BJP continues its full five-year term. l Mohammad Amjad Hossain is a retired diplomat from Bangladesh and is a former president of the Nova chapter of the Toastmasters International Club. He writes from Virginia.
Learning by all out-of-school children
The MGTL addresses the learning challenges of children at schools. It transforms the ways of teaching and learning in the classroom. In the whole process of teaching-learning, each child actively takes part, which helps every child to learn effectively and acquire competency at her/his own pace. Children of different grades with varying competencies learn in one classroom. One teacher works for all 25-30 learners by organising them into grade-based groups. Group-leaders and advanced learners play the roles of peer facilitators under the guidance of a teacher.
Learning at own pace
The MGTL facilitates restarting learning of dropout children from the level they stopped in formal schools. A learner may complete the course in less time and can move from one grade to another, based on periodic assessments of competencies acquired. Through this process, learners complete their academic cycle in a shorter span of time. UNIQUE experience shows that the children can complete the primary course in 41 months.
Classroom management
In a multigrade class, there are four grade based groups – Beginners, Advanced, Skilled, and Independent. This represents whole cycle of formal primary schools. In the DAM NFPE programs the national primary education curriculum is followed. Apart from the national text books, supplementary reading materials or student generated materials are used to reinforce the learning process. In the class, there is an opportunity to interact with the teacher and the group-leader from each group. A student with advanced ability becomes the group leader in each table who sometimes helps a teacher to follow up the lower grade students. Learning-by-doing method is followed in the class while special attention is given to the slow learners. Project work on issue-based topic facilitates in-depth practical learning of the students. Moreover, co-curricular activities and “activity in a big group in the beginning of each new subject” stimulate children’s learning process. Apart from peer learning, group tasks, project works, use of mobile boards, extracurricular works, social learning, etc are done depending on subject requirements. The centre has two writing boards – one fixed (big) and the other is mobile (small). The mobile board can be moved to any
A participatory teaching-learning and assessment technique is applied for better and effective learning of each child in the class. Therefore, self-learning, mutual learning, peer learning, one-to-one teaching, project learning, group works are ensured in the classes. The teacher follows fivetask process in conducting the class which are – review, reading exercise, writing exercise, self-learning practice, and assessment.
In this approach, a teacher is required to address the learning need of each child in the class Children are assessed at the time of enrollment in a process called “base assessment” to determine their subject-based state of competency. Besides, periodic assessment on weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis is done. However, higher grade promotion assessment (usually built-in periodic assessment) allows movement of the learners from lower to higher grades according to the attainment of competencies. There are three types of assessment techniques in the form of written, oral, and observation tests, which are held for each child.
Teacher’s accountability
It is an undying fact that the teacher’s role is crucial in every learning situation. In multigrade class, teacher’s active engagement in the whole gamut of teaching-learning process has further been emphasised. In this approach, a teacher is required to address the learning need of each child in the class. Besides adapting the annual academic plan, the teacher prepares grade-wise lesson plans to meet diverse learning needs. The teacher facilitates children’s learning inside and outside the classroom. She/he also facilitates optimum use of the two writing boards. On a regular basis, the teacher has to make an assessment of the individual learning progress of each child.
Effectiveness and Impact
As individual competency of each child is valued, those pupils who are fast learners can complete the cycle of primary education in less time, and are mainstreamed into secondary level. Flexible assessment helps to graduate earlier and make room to new pupils to enroll any time of the year rather than waiting for the beginning of the academic year. The out-of-school children scattered in different hard-to-reach areas are reached through community based Child Learning Centres (CLC). “The most notable feature of (this) NFPE program, known to be the MGTL system … is found to be an economic and reasonably effective arrangement.” Some statistics may give an indication of the MGTL approach’s effectiveness. During 2012 and 2013, 7,267 students and 3,359 students appeared in Primary School Certificate (PSC) examination of which the pass rate was 93% (6726) and 99% (3,342) respectively. In respect of access of children in the hardest-to-reach areas, a total of 14,088 children in Hill areas, 6,400 children in haor areas, 11, 219 children in char areas, and 14,358 children in coastal belt of the country have been covered under this approach (as of March, 2014) alongside the children in other areas of the country. A study report appropriately said: “The flexibility of [MGTL] to reach children in isolated locations and in difficult conditions could be utilised in the mainstream education system.” l M Ehsanur Rahman is Executive Director, Dhaka Ahsania Mission.
BIGSTOCK
I