Say speakers
Achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDG) would suffer a setback if education is not given proper importance during emergency periods like disaster and in the areas affected by natural calamities, said speakers yesterday.
They were speaking at an inaugural ceremony of a two-day long national convention titled “Education in emergencies” at Shishu Academy in the city.
Education Cluster Bangladesh, a platform of 30 government and non-government organisations, working to continue children’s education during disaster period, with the cooperation of Unicef, ActionAid and Save the Children organised the convention.
Though food and relief are being provided in the disaster-hit areas during any disaster, educational activities there remain neglected for a long time, they said, suggesting chalking out a future plan to ensure children’s education.
They urged the government and non-government organisations to work together to help continue children’s education in the aftermath of a disaster.
Speaking on the occasion as the chief guest, Food and Disaster Management Minister Muhammad Abdur Razzaque stressed on the need for special emphasis on economical development in the disaster-prone areas to continue children’s education.
“If we could reduce poverty rate in the disaster-prone areas by keeping up economical development there, we would be able to reduce the risks created by the aftermath of the disaster,” he said.
About Aila-affected people, the minister said people of four upazilas hit by cyclone Aila could not go back to their homes while their children are yet to return to schools.
Mentioning the government’s effort to rebuild the damaged embankments, he said, “We hope that the embankment rebuilding work would end by December or January. We will then rebuild the educational institutions.”
Unicef education programme Head Navendra Dahal said though few NGOs are giving funds to help continue education during disaster period but the amount is too small against the problem.
ActionAid Country Director Farah Kabir urged to incorporate the issue of education in the Disaster Management Act.
Students and teachers present there narrated the sufferings and how the educational activities get disrupted during a disaster.
AKM Musa, country director of Concern Worldwide, and Suman Sen Gupta of Save the Children also spoke on the occasion.
