The movement initiated by the students for the cause of education in the then East Pakistan in the early sixties, culminated on 17 September, 1963 -- known as the Education Day -- a year after the eventful 1962 movement. The struggle was against discrimination and deprivation in education and a series of onslaughts on Bengali language, songs (particularly Tagore Song), art and culture. The immediate cause of the students' agitation was the Shareef Commision Report on education imposed by the government.
On the day, school student Babul, bus conductor Golam Mostafa and domestic worker Waziullah sacrificed their lives in support of the movement of students. I personally participated in the movement as an activist in the capacity of General Secretary of Dhaka College Students' Union. The movement was initiated by students without any outside help. The central student leaders could not foresee that such a huge movement based on academic issues and problems faced by the students was possible. The momentum of movement subsided when the then opposition leader H.S. Suhrawardy came to Dhaka from Karachi. He met East Pakistan Governor Golam Faruk and persuaded him to defer implementation of the Shareef Commission Report.
This year the Education Day will be observed with focus on slow implementation of the Education Policy 2010 and delay in the passing of the Education Law for establishment of a permanent statutory education commission, formation of teachers' recruitment authority and introduction of separate pay scale for teachers from primary to higher education level.
There is no denying the fact that in recent years the education sector has witnessed several positive changes such as free distribution of text books to primary and secondary students, reform in the curriculum after 17 years, introduction of structured question, use of information technology in the publication of examination results, introduction of pre-primary classes, steps to check coaching on commercial basis, development of infrastructure of education institutions, stipend for girls, achievement of gender parity in primary and secondary education.
But the challenges in education are also manifold. To mention a few : 1) gradual decrease in the allocation for education, 2) meritorious students' unwillingness to join teaching profession, 3) brain drain, 4) reluctance of students to opt for science subjects, 5) anomalies and lack of coordination in the management of education and education institution, 6) absence of monitoring and presence of corruption at every tier and stage of education, 7) lack of proper pre and in-service training for teachers, 8) moral degradation of a section of teachers, 9) corporal punishment of students at the hands of a section of teachers, 10) existing education system's inadequacy to be equal to the job market, 11) slow pace of progress in the implementation of the Education Policy 2010. 12) politicisation of education and interference by vested quarters almost at every step.
The impact of globalisation in education in the country along with some progressive steps and decisions taken in the recent past, however, makes one optimistic about the future of education despite the crisis and challenges. The creativity of our young boys and girls, the expanding cooperation between the government and the non-government organisations, the dynamism of a section of policy makers, forward looking ideas of some of our leaders irrespective of political allegiance, the role of the media make me confident of our onward march towards progress.
Prof Quazi Faruque Ahmed was an organiser of 62 education movement. He is the chairman of Initiative for Human Development
(I H D), a member organisation of Asia and South Pacific
Association for Basic and
Adult Education (ASPBAE). ihdbd@yahoo.com
Braving all odds to march forward
Quazi Faruque Ahmed | Published: September 17, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00
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