MAGURA, July 08: The story is about an extra-ordinary school of an ordinary village in Magura.
The name of this school is Pashcim Bariala Government Primary School. Pashcim Bariala is a village under Magura sadar upazila which is 15 km far away from Magura town.
The school was founded in 1995. Subsequently the school was nationalised in 2012. At present a total of 210 children are receiving education in the school while 5 teachers are teaching.
The school is showing outstanding performance in primary school certificate (PSC) examination. The pass percentage in PSC examination in 2016 and 2017 was cent per cent. The attendance of the students in the school is 99 per cent every day.
Mid day meal programme is being run in the school from the very beginning of 2018 and the programme is being run with financial support of teachers and school managing committee without government funding. Earlier the school is suffering due to lack of electrification. In 2016 the school came under electrification. For the relief of students the teachers performed the task with their own funding. Moreover they are still now paying the bill at their own cost.
The school has a rich library. The most interesting matter is the curriculum books are restricted in the library. The library is enriched with story and other books. The school authority has arranged the library in this way from this thinking that, for the actual mental development of children only curriculum books are not sufficient.
The school authority believes the ethical practice should be started from childhood. The school holds an honesty shop. The shop is being run without any shopkeeper. Children pay money spontaneously after taking goods from the shop and day by day the shop is flourishing. Nature has a profound effect on child mind. From this thinking a safe shelter for birds have been fabricated in the school so that the children can receive education amid uproar of birds and murmuring of leaves.
When contacted headmaster of the school Shujit Kumar Dash said, I started my carrier in the school with only Tk 500 salary. At that time many of my well wishers told me to go to any other job leaving the school. But I did not do so. I had a dream to design the school according to my dream. With the nationalisation of the school a new aspect was opened in my life and now I am walking on my dream.
Assistant Upazila Primary Education Officer, Magura Sadar upazila, MA Sayem said, when I go to visit any school I advise them to follow Bariala primary school. Moreover I have taken 52 headmasters to visit the school. They all are inspired with the visit to the school.