Taking a swipe at those who are doubting the quality of the country's present education system, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said nothing can be accomplished smoothly if a good job faces criticism before it even begins.
"If someone bites on the back from the behind, no one can start any job in a good way. And I would like to tell the education minister to go ahead ignoring the uncalled for criticism (pache loke kichu bole)," she said while receiving results of this year's HSC and equivalent examinations at her official Ganobhaban residence in the morning, according to the BSS, a government run news agency.
Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid and the chairmen of 10 education boards formally handed over the results to the Prime Minister.
Education Secretary Dr Mohammad Sadiq conducted the enent, while PM's Principal Secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikdar and Press Secretary AKM Shameem Chowdhury were present on the occasion, among others.
Sheikh Hasina said there is a section of the people in the society who are always jealous of any work, whether it is good or bad. "There is nothing to be worried about with such negative remarks. Our main task is to reach the light of education to every nook and corner of the country," she said.
The Prime Minister said her government has fixed a specific target for the development of education. "We know very well what will have to be done and how the country can be taken forward as Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman showed the path to our shining destination," she said.
Sheikh Hasina referred to the already visible advancement in the country's education sector and said an upward trend has already been set to ensure a good quality of education in the country. "Our education is now in a natural way to upgradation to fulfill the demands of the time" she said.
She, however, said nothing can be changed overnight. "Those who work are criticised but those don't work remain free from criticism," she said, quoting froim Bangabandhu that "People naturally pelt at the tress that bear fruits" (je gaach fal dei sei gaache dhil porbei).
In this connection, the Prime Minister illustrated different steps for further development of education and said her government is taking the country towards light from an era of darkness. And that light is the "light of education," she said.
Sheikh Hasina said without education, a nation can never hope for prosperity. "We want to build a poverty-free Bangladesh and education is the main key to achieving that goal," she said, adding that only an educated nation could ensure development of any country.
After the independence, she said, Bangabandhu put maximum emphasis on the development of education to reawaken the war- ravaged nation. "He nationalised all the primary schools through his farsighted policy and formed the Qudrat-e-Quda Education Commission which could not be implemented due to the assassination of Bangladesh's founding father," she said.
The Prime Minister said the Awami League government during its previous 1996-2001 term formed another education commission and implemented a modern science and technology based education policy during its 2009-2013 term, which was accepted by all quarters in the country.
Sheikh Hasina said priority has been given on information technology and vocational education in the new education policy and directives have also been given to the concerned authorities to start providing vocational education from class eight.
The present government has also introduced multimedia class rooms, while computers are being provided to the student at a low cost side by side with reaching internet facilities up to the village level, she said and hoped that the students in the near future might use a net-book instead of carrying a bag loaded with books.
To ensure higher education for all, she said, the government will establish at least one university in every district under private or public initiative.
In this context, she said her government for the first time in the country's history established a medical university in Dhaka, and a process is underway to set up one medical university in every division.
Congratulating the students who came out successful in this year's HSC examinations, the Prime Minister suggested the unsuccessful students to study hard so that they become successful in future.
Later, the Prime Minister published the results of ten boards online through switching on a computer button.
After publishing the results online, she talked to Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, Whip of the Jatiya Sangsad Iqbalur Rahim and three students who were present at the conference room of the Deputy Commissioner of Dinajpur district through videoconferencing.
