MAGURA, Mar 28: The story is about an affluent school and its devoted headmistress. The name of the school is Arpara Model Primary School. The school stands in village Arpara under Shakha upazila of the district. The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education has selected the school as the best primary school while Yasmin Akhter, headmistress of the school as the best primary school mistress for 2017.
The school was founded in1945 while nationalised in1973. At present a total of 721students from pre-primary class to five are receiving education in the school under 14 teachers. Everyday the attendance of the students in the school is 97 to 98 per cent. At present dropout rate in the school is nil.
The school is entirely digitalised. Different activities like attendance giving of the students and the teachers, admission of students, notice issuing, result declaration are performed in digital system.
The school put emphasis on developing patriotism sense among the students. Everyday during assembly students are asked some questions like, "Do you love your country? What is patriotism? What is your duty as a patriot?"
The school authority is contemplating to provide the students with moral teaching. From this thinking a shop has been opened in the school which is named honesty shop. The honesty shop is being run without shopkeeper. Price is written on every item in the shop. During taking any goods students pay for this spontaneously.
The school has opened a benevolent fund. Students donate in the fund saving their tiffin money. Insolvent students are given financial support from the fund. When contacted Hasibul Islam a student of the school told, "My father is a day labourer. As he did not afford to give my school dress, school authority has given my school dress with the money from benevolent fund."
School authority is always conscious about mental development of the students. For this different extra-curriculum activities like singing, dancing, acting, painting and storytelling are organised in the school in a regular way .As attracting natural environment causes a profound effect on child mind, a safe shelter for birds have been fabricated in the school ground. Everyday hundreds of birds thronged the safe shelter and the children get vibrant with the cooing of birds. The school authority has ensured a congenial environment for child health. They are providing the students with safe water. The school holds a unique water filtering system. Moreover to protect the children from malnutrition the authority is running mid day meal programme in the school from 2016. The meal is prepared considering nutrition demand of the children.
Headmistress Yasmin Akhter said, "From my student life I had a fascination to teaching. In 1995 I joined in a primary school as an assistant teacher. But then I felt, my planning for the betterment of the students is not possible to implement as I was assistant teacher. I got prepared to establish myself as headmistress .Through interview I deserved as a headmistress and I joint in Arpara Model Primary School in 2011. Just after joining I started to design the school according to my dream."
When she was asked about the reason of her success she said, "I alone do not deserve this credit. The success of a school is a team work .Only headmistress can not achieve this. All my colleagues are sincere and devoted to school. Our combined efforts have worked behind our success."
The district primary education officer Kumaresh Chandra Gasi said, "We are proud for the success of Arpara Model Primary School and its headmistress Yasmin Akhter".
