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STORY: BANGLADESH / PRE-SCHOOL
TRT: 5.30
SOURCE: UNICEF
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: BANGLA / NATS
DATELINE: 19-21 OCTOBER 2011, CHINIPARA VILLAGE, BANGLADESH
1. Various shots, children at school
2. SOUNDBITE (Bangla) Sakar Faruk Shanaz, Assistant Teacher, Chinipara Registered Primary School:
“We live in a remote area. We have a lot of poverty here. All the students are the children of day laborers and farmers.”
3. Various shots, people working in fields
4. SOUNDBITE (Bangla) Sheikh Lutfur Rahman Liton, ten-years-old:
“If my parents didn’t let me go to school, I would’ve helped them with the work at home.”
5. Wide shot, Liton rides bicycle
6. Various shots, Liton tutoring Mujidul and Akhimoni
7. SOUNDBITE (Bangla) Ayesha Siddika Akhimoni, Pre-school student:
“We study, play, and do rhymes like Head and Shoulders and One Little Finger.”
8. Various shots, children studying
9. Various shots, Ahki with her father in a field
10. SOUNDBITE (Bangla) Ajijal Islam, Father of Akhimoni:
“Akhi is studying with Liton. She’s doing very well. She studies at home with him. We think this is great, that’s why we let her be part of this programme.”
11. Various shots, school assembly
12. Various shots, children in classroom
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Mohammad Mohsin, UNICEF Early Childhood Development Specialist:
“The most important thing for this innovation is that it’s less costly. And it is community based, so everybody can see the changes. And the attachment of the teachers to the process is very strong.”
14. Various shots, facilitators with students in classroom
15. SOUNDBITE (Bangla) Sarkar Faruk Shanaz, Assistant teacher:
“Every Thursday at 3 pm I meet with the young facilitators. We go through the support texts and we discuss them. The principal and other assistant teachers also join us.”
16. Various shots, facilitators with students in classroom
17. SOUNDBITE (Bangla) Sheikh Lutfur Rahman Liton, 10 years old:
“Yes, I have improved. Since going into the Child to Child programme I’ve learned a lot. My reading is much better. That’s been very good for me.”
18. Various shots, school assembly
19. SOUNDBITE (Bangla) Shyamal Kanti Ghosh, Director General, Directorate of Primary Education:
“I have seen that enrolment has increased, school drop-outs have lessened in the area that have the program.”
20. Various shots, Liton on his bicycle
21. SOUNDBITE (Bangla)Zahanara Begum, Liton’s Mother:
“Before getting into the Child to Child programme, Liton was slow in his studies. Since he’s been involved he’s much better. He gets more answers right. Before I would need to show him, now he can manage on his own.”
22. Various shots, Liton with his students
23. SOUNDBITE (Bangla) Ajijal Islam, Father of Akhimoni:
“I hope that Akhi will grow up educated. I hope to see her become a doctor. But I don’t know how to make it happen. I’m poor, how will I pay for her studies? I have hope, but just hope isn’t enough.”
24. Various shots, village streets
25. Various shots, children playing
Chinipara Primary School is in the Rangpur region of Bangladesh. Most of the students consider themselves lucky to have even a primary education. And in this country only 23 per cent of children go to pre-school.
SOUNDBITE (Bangla) Sakar Faruk Shanaz, Assistant Teacher, Chinipara Registered Primary School:
“We live in a remote area. We have a lot of poverty here. All the students are the children of day labourers and farmers.”
In Chinipara village there is always work to do to keep families fed. It’s a constant struggle, and one that takes a toll on the education of the most vulnerable.
SOUNDBITE (Bangla) Sheikh Lutfur Rahman Liton, ten-years-old:
“If my parents didn’t let me go to school, I would’ve helped them with the work at home.”
But Liton’s parents wanted more opportunity for him than they had. Not only is he in school, he’s taken on extra responsibility -- tutoring two of his younger neighbours, Mujidul and Akhimoni.
The younger children learn rhymes, the alphabet and the names of colours and animals.
SOUNDBITE (Bangla) Ayesha Siddika Akhimoni, Pre-school student
“We study, play, and do rhymes like Head and Shoulders and One Little Finger.”
It’s a far cry from the lives of the children’s parents, who were forced to leave school early and have scraped by ever since. Akhimoni’s father owns no land and has few prospects of making money.
SOUNDBITE (Bangla) Ajijal Islam, Father of Akhimoni:
“Akhi is studying with Liton. She’s doing very well. She studies at home with him. We think this is great, that’s why we let her be part of this programme.”
Called Getting Ready for school a Child to Child Approach, the programme was launched in 2007 by UNICEF and its partners. Its goal is to provide supplementary, and cost effective early learning to the most vulnerable.
Thirty schools across Bangladesh were selected for their high dropout and low school completion rates.
SOUNDBITE (English) Mohammad Mohsin, UNICEF Early Childhood Development Specialist
“The most important thing for this innovation is that it’s less costly. And it is community based, so everybody can see the changes. And the attachment of the teachers to the process is very strong.”
Liton and his fellow facilitators tutor their students once a week. Their own teachers provide careful support.
SOUNDBITE (Bangla) Sarkar Faruk Shanaz, Assistant teacher
“Every Thursday at 3 pm I meet with the young facilitators. We go through the support texts and we discuss them. The principal and other assistant teachers also join us.”
The programme benefits facilitators as well as students, giving them status in their community and helping them to define their own educational goals.
SOUNDBITE (Bangla) Sheikh Lutfur Rahman Liton, ten-years-old:
“Yes, I have improved. Since going into the Child to Child programme I’ve learned a lot. My reading is much better. That’s been very good for me.”
It’s also been good for Bangladesh which is working toward universal pre-school education. The aim is to introduce Child to Child in all non-government primary schools that, like Chinipara, have strong community participation.
SOUNDBITE (Bangla) Shyamal Kanti Ghosh, Director General, Directorate of Primary Education:
“I have seen that enrolment has increased, school drop-outs have lessened in the area that have the programme.”
Even though he’s just ten, Liton now knows the long term importance of education. He hopes to complete his schooling and go into the armed forces.
SOUNDBITE (Bangla)
Zahanara Begum, Liton’s Mother
“Before getting into the Child to Child programme, Liton was slow in his studies. Since he’s been involved he’s much better. He gets more answers right. Before I would need to show him, now he can manage on his own.”
But despite the simplicity and low cost of the programme, more help is needed if children like Akhimoni are going to overcome the obstacles of extreme poverty.
SOUNDBITE (Bangla) Ajijal Islam, Father of Akhimoni
“I hope that Akhi will grow up educated. I hope to see her become a doctor. But I don’t know how to make it happen. I’m poor, how will I pay for her studies? I have hope, but just hope isn’t enough.”
In Chinpara village life continues as it has done for generations …. But UNICEF and its partners believe that this one small change could have an enormous benefit as Bangladesh strives towards universal pre school education.
The Child to Child pilot programme has been a success in countries with strong community participation. UNICEF wants to expand it to other countries and regions, giving thousands more children the chance to break the cycle of exclusion from education and create fulfilling lives for themselves.
