Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) is the chairman of almost all committees at upazila level. In the meetings of these committees, the general issues of the upazila are discussed and decisions are taken. So UNO can play an important role in decision making. Primary education is the foundation of a country’s education system. If quality education for the new generation is not ensured at the primary level, then it becomes difficult to ensure it in the later education life. It will not be possible to develop the future generation as patriotic ideal citizens if the young children are not involved in not only formal education, but also in cultural activities, camping activities, sports, moral education etc.
Education is the backbone of the nation. No nation can progress without education. Teachers are said to be artisans of making people. UNO can motivate teachers by participating in the training organized at different times for the teachers at upazila level. Uno can make directive statements to improve the quality of education. As a result, teaching in the classroom will be ensured according to the teacher’s guidelines. Also, many children in rural areas drop out every year compared to urban schools and are deprived of compulsory primary education. They become burden to the society rather than an asset to the nation. The tender children studying in these schools stay for long periods of time without eating. By introducing mid-day meal in every school, children will happily accept the lessons and attend school regularly. This will reduce the number of children who fall into the storm. UNO can start mid day meal program in every school with the financial support of local public representatives of the society, well-to-do people, students, various donor organizations and SMC. This will reduce the dropout rate. So that, younger student can concentrate on classes after lunch break.
The role of parents is crucial in schooling for the new generation of children. But our rural parents are not very aware of this. They are used to employing children as helpers in their professions to get quick child earning results. Of course, their poverty is main reason for this case. Therefore, in order to increase awareness among the parents for the improvement of education, parents’ assembly can be organized from time to time in each school under the initiative of the UNO. Students can communicate with their parents about regular school attendance. At the same time he/she can take necessary steps for immediate solution by taking various opinions/suggestions for the improvement of various problems in the school. It is necessary to ensure that our children do not receive the curse of plagiarism at the very beginning of their educational life.
UNO can provide support to primary schools by including various government projects to ensure a beautiful environment of the school. He/she can do it by providing canopies for parents to sit in, creating flower gardens in front of the school, clearing the surrounding bushes and forests, planting various fruit and forest trees. Apart from this, to ensure the educational environment, UNO can take actions to make buildings, rooms and provide chairs, tables, tool benches, white boards, fans, water filters, flower tops, connecting roads, construction of boundary walls, field filling, construction of toilets and tubewells according to the needs of each primary school. In these matters, if necessary, UNO can inform the higher authorities in writing for financial allocation.
If law and order is normal, it is possible to improve all fields including education and culture. As the president of the upazila law and order committee, UNO play a special role in the development of law and order. UNO can take action through the mobile court so mothers, sisters, workers, female teachers who come with school going children can perform their duties safely. Moreover, if there is a local problem with the land of the school, UNO can quickly take legal action to solve the problem. Apart from this, cub scouting activity is a fruitful step in the physical and mental development of children. Every school needs to have a cub scout program. UNO can take measures to make daily assembly and mandatory physical exercise while hoisting the national flag before the start of classes and organize ‘camp fire’ once a year. UNO as the president of Upazila Scout can involve the children to do various tasks as a team member and create a mindset of living together peacefully in the society.
All textbooks for primary education are provided free by the government. UNO can ensure that new textbooks reach children on 1st January every year. If the new textbooks are guaranteed to reach the children on time, the children will go to school happily and concentrate on their studies. Therefore UNO can arrange strict supervision through the Upazila Education Officer to ensure that there is no irregularity in the distribution of books. Moreover, the inadequacy of warehouses for storing books exists in almost every upazila. If UNO pay attention to this issue, this problem can be solved easily. Above all, UNO can organize a program to honor the students who have won scholarships in the final/annual examination every year by motivating the charitable persons of the society at the upazila level. This award ceremony can be organized by the upazila’s local political leaders, parents and teachers. So, the students of the schools will focus on their studies and it will be possible to create positive competition between the schools to achieve good results. Therefore, the role of UNO in the overall development of primary education in each upazila is undeniable.
Md. Harun-Or-Rashid is Upazila Nirbahi Officer at Austagram, Kishoreganj
