Chhatra League’s planned school committees cause alarm

A move by the Bangladesh Chhatra League to establish its committees in schools has raised alarm among all quarters of society, with even leaders of the parent Awami League warning of a potential rise in student-led political violence. On Tuesday, the central committee of the ruling party's student wing decided to form school-level committees around the country with the stated aim of spreading the ideology of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman among school children. Joynal Abedin, the Chhatra League's school affairs secretary, said the party had moved to counter the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami. “Islami Chhatra Shibir has been trying to spread militancy among school students for years. In a bid to counter them, Chhatra League will form committees at every school in the country,” he told the Dhaka Tribune on Wednesday. Abedin, who is in charge of forming the committees, issued assurances that school students who would be a part of the committees would not actively participate in politics. However, several academic experts, education activists, parents and teachers have voiced their concerns to the Dhaka Tribune over the decision, unanimously agreeing that student politics would corrupt the environment in schools and destroy the country's education system at the primary level. “Chhatra League's decision has proven the fact that the government is trying to militarise our schools,” said columnist, political analyst and educationist Afsan Chowdhury. “They are not concerned about the crisis in our education system, or the consistent streak of question paper leaks in public exams.” Dr Syed Manzoorul Islam, professor of English at Dhaka University, said political activities at school level was “not acceptable.” “Students under the age of 18 should certainly not be involved in politics,” he said. “Letting them do so will damage the academic environment in schools and ruin student-teacher relationship. Bangabandhu's ideology can be spread among young students through textbooks and lessons in the classroom.” Torifa Najmina, the headmistress of Garadob Government Primary School who won the Best Primary School Teacher award at divisional level in 2013, said students with politically influential parents were already disrespectful – and sometimes even hostile – towards their teachers. She warned that introducing student politics in schools will make matters “even worse.” “There are no good student leaders that our students can follow. If they get involved in politics, they will be led corrupt and dishonest leaders. They will become violent; the academic culture in the schools will be destroyed,” she said. As the father of a ninth-grader, Nur Hossain, of Malibagh area in Dhaka, said he is worried about politics entering his child's school. “Student leaders these days are widely known for their unruly behaviour and involvement in crime,” he said. “If school students start engaging in politics now, they will be led by these student leaders. That will definitely destroy our young generation.” The Chhatra League decision was not well-accepted by leaders of its parent organisation, either. Speaking on condition of anonymity, several senior Awami League leaders expressed their lack of confidence in Chhatra League leaders, saying the student organisation has been involved in numerous incidences of violence, causing embarrassment for the Awami League. “Leaders and activists of Chhatra League these days are busy committing crimes and establishing dominance in education institutions,” said one of the leaders. “If this decision is implemented and school students get involved in politics, it will certainly damage the government and the Awami League's reputation.” Awami League Joint General Secretary Abdur Rahman, who is also a former president of Chhatra League, said: “The initiative to spread Bangabandhu's ideals is certainly commendable, but getting school students involved in politics in the process is certainly not a good idea, as this period of a student's life is crucial.” Saifuzzaman Shakon, a former president of the Socialist Student Front (SSF), sees some merit in Chhatra League's idea but says the current trend of violence is “alarming.” “The problem is the absence of ethics and norms in our politics,” he told the Dhaka Tribune. “Student politics has become quite violent. If school students join in politics, then they will become a part of that violence, getting involved in tender grabbing and criminal activities that student leaders are found involved in these days.”