Khulna: State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj announced today that the government will launch a nourishing feeding program for 1.10 crore students in all 66,000 government primary schools across the country starting next year. He shared this development at a press briefing held at The Grand Khulna hotel.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the government also plans to expand its current initiatives of providing shoes and school bags to primary school students. Bobby Hajjaj highlighted that the nourishing feeding program is already in operation in select primary schools, including 167 schools in the Paikgachha upazila of Khulna. Addressing concerns over food supply and quality in some schools, Hajjaj instructed authorities to conduct laboratory tests on any suspected rotten supplies and to take punitive action against responsible suppliers.
The state minister outlined the government's efforts to appoint 14,500 primary school teachers by December 2026, aiming to fill all vacant positions within the next one to one-and-a-half years. He acknowledged the decline in the quality of primary education in previous years but assured that the current government is committed to improvements.
Bobby Hajjaj stated that punitive measures would be pursued against certain private schools allegedly involved in spreading misinformation about the government's primary education initiatives. He emphasized plans to revamp the primary education system, transforming all schools into effective and quality educational institutions. The government also intends to bring both government and private primary schools, as well as kindergartens, under its monitoring system in the future.
Highlighting the priority given to health and education services, Hajjaj stated that these initiatives aim to enhance the quality of primary education, ensure a conducive learning environment, and provide quality education to students. He acknowledged that students, teachers, and employees face difficulties due to faulty designs of some government primary school buildings constructed under the previous administration.
Earlier, Hajjaj participated in an orientation and view-exchange meeting with primary school teachers in Khulna, discussing the development of primary education under the "Government Primary School Feeding Programme." He addressed various issues related to primary education, including basic standards for different classes, rules and procedures for school inspections, teacher training, media communication, and ways to enhance the overall primary education system.
The program was presided over by Additional Divisional Commissioner Sifat Mehnaz. Special guests included the Administrator of Khulna City Corporation Nazrul Islam Manju, Joint Secretary (Development) Md Motiar Rahman, Joint Secretary and Project Director of the Primary School Feeding Programme Md Abul Amin, and Director (Stipend) Md Masud Hossain. Dr Md Shafiqul Islam, Deputy Director of Primary Education in Khulna Division, delivered the welcome address, with participation from district primary education officers, additional district primary education officers, PTI superintendents, assistant superintendents, and various officials from the primary education sector in Khulna.