New Project to Replace the Old One
10 language labs to be set up to help unemployed youths
Mustak Hossain
The Ministry of Education is planning to set up 10 language laboratories aimed at enhancing English and Arabic language skills of pre- and post-intermediate level students and service holders to prepare them for overseas job.Although the ministry had earlier taken a Tk 9 crore project to establish six such laboratories at the divisional headquarters under a 100-day programme of the four-party alliance government, the project eventually bogged down. The ministry stalled the project twice -- once for corruption and the second time over a dilemma when a supplier firm went to court for violation of tender contract by the education directorate. Now it is considering dropping the project and coming up with a new project to establish 10 language labs. "The ministry has approved the new project and a government order in this regard is in the offing," said a senior official of the education ministry last week. The ministry would initiate the new project with similar features to replace the failed project considering the uniqueness of the project, officials said. The initiative is very timely, an official said, adding that the jobless youths will benefit immensely from the project as the language proficiency is a must to get job in overseas market. The education boards will be the implementing authority of the new project. In the first phase, six language laboratories will be set up at the divisional headquarters to teach youths English and Arabic languages. The project first hit a snag when a section of officials of the directorate in connivance with some book suppliers tried to procure unnecessary and unfamiliar reading materials without any consultation with the experts to siphon off several crores of taka, industry sources alleged. The directorate had floated a tender to procure a total of 458 books in English and Arabic -- mostly unknown and unnecessary books for the purpose -- ignoring essential and worthy books. No experts were consulted before preparing and finalising the list of books. The list was made reportedly with the suggestions of certain suppliers for their benefit. After a report was published in The Daily Star regarding the faulty selection of books, the education ministry stalled the project. When the ministry asked for a fresh bid after correcting the book list, a firm participating in the tendering process took the issue to court and the case has been pending since then.
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