UNIQUE Project Launched
1.6 lakh out-of-school children to be enrolled in 24 districts
Staff Correspondent
With a view to imparting quality primary education to 1.6 lakh out-of-school children in 24 districts, Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM) yesterday launched a project titled UNIQUE (Up-scaling Non-formal Primary Education Through Institutionalising Qualitative Endeavour) with the financial assistance of the European Commission. The 18-month-long project also aims at enhancing capacity of local communities for effective management of non-formal primary education, said the organisers. Speaking as chief guest at the launching ceremony, Head of Delegation of European Commission Stefan Frowein said despite Bangladesh made significant progress in primary school enrolment, it is yet to effectively address the drop-out rate from the schools. In this connection, he reiterated their assistance to ensure best possible voluntary education for the dropped-out children. The EC ambassador hoped that the dropped-out children will be happy to attend the classes under UNIQUE programme as non-governmental organisations of Bangladesh have valuable experience in imparting non-formal education for years. Saying that it was an aim of European Commission to establish linkage between formal and non-formal education, he hoped that UNIQUE will be able to establish that long-cherished relationship. The project will also be beneficial for DAM and its partner organisations, as it will permit joint learning and common sharing of best practices in the field of non-formal education, he added. President and Chief Executive of DAM Kazi Rafiqul Alam said reaching the dropped-out children in shoal, coastal, haor, tribal and hill areas will be one of the major challenges of the programme. He said lessons under UNIQUE programme will be more interesting as it will offer local and popular stories and fables in the curriculum. As the timing of classes will also be adaptable with the local needs, parents will happily send their children to classes, he observed. Alam said the UNIQUE project is not meant for substituting the formal primary education system, rather its role will be supplementary so that Bangladesh can make a significant progress in the achievement of Millennium Development Goal. DAM along with its partner organisations Plan Bangladesh, CCBD, Dorp, Padakkhep, Manobik Unnayan Kendra and Surovi will implement the project. The launching ceremony was held at DAM auditorium in the city where Director General of Bureau of Non-formal Education Md Rafiquzzaman, Project Director of UNIQUE Shafiqul Islam and Deputy Executive Director of DAM Ehsanur Rahman also spoke.
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