School’s backward students formed into six-member teams. Each team has a symbolic doctor who is a classmate of the backward students but is better at studying. The ‘Reading and Writing Hospital’ is open for an hour after school lunch every day. For the rest of the time, students attend classes with everyone else. The student who does the best in the ‘Check-in Room’ is awarded the ‘Student of the Day award.
To help backward students who fell behind during the pandemic, Upazila Executive Officer (UNO) Ali Rajiv Mahmood Mithun has launched a ‘study hospital’ in various primary schools in Srimangal Upazila of Moulvibazar. This has increased students’ interest in studying. They are able to read and write well.
According to the Upazila administration and local sources, Ali Rajiv Mahmood went to visit various schools immediately after taking over as UNO in May last year. At that time, he saw that most of the third to fifth-grade students in schools outside the city could not read Bengali well. They are even weaker in English and math. Students were away from studies due to school closure and no exams during the pandemic. As a result, students fell behind. Later, the UNO took the initiative to launch a ‘Reading and Writing Hospital’ for these students by discussing with the Upazila Assistant Education Officer and teachers. Training was given on managing this ‘hospital’ in 86 government primary schools in the upazila. Now the ‘hospital’ is running in full swing in 39 schools.
UNO Ali Rajiv Mahmood told Prothom Alo, “A large portion of students could not study properly due to the closure of schools during the pandemic. He saw the same problem in schools outside the city. This was putting pressure on the children’s minds as well as increasing the number of dropouts from school. Later, he took the initiative to open a ‘Reading and Writing Hospital’ with the teachers and Upazila Assistant Education Officers of 39 schools. This has increased students’ interest in studying.” He said they are preparing to launch this program in every school in Srimangal. He hopes that they will be able to overcome the damage caused by the pandemic through this hospital.
Recently, it was seen that two rooms have been taken for the ‘Reading and Writing Hospital’ at the Singhbiej Government Primary School in Srimangal. In one room, 30 students are studying in six teams of five each, playing games. An English teacher is teaching letters, compound letters, English words, and math by playing games. At the same time, the symbolic doctors are teaching their respective teams with advice. The other room is called the ‘Check-in Room’. The doctor is checking whether the subjects learned in the first room have been mastered well. Students read letters, words, and sentences hanging on the wall and Bengali newspapers and storybooks kept on the newspaper stand. Students who can read are being given a ‘discharge certificate’. Again, new students are coming in their place.
The school’s headmaster, Moloy Kanti Talukdar, told Prothom Alo, “The ‘Reading and Writing Hospital’ is a great initiative for the school. Many students were out of studies due to the closure of schools during the pandemic. They are behind in their studies. Through the hospital, they are trying to improve the students. The initiative needs to be taken in every school,” he commented.
Noting that there is not much cost to open such a ‘hospital’ in school, UNO Ali Rajiv Mahmood said, “It costs around Tk 6,000 if done digitally. If done with paper, the cost is almost negligible. The hospital has been implemented with the sincere efforts of teachers, students, education officers, assistant education officers, and school authorities. The entire matter has been implemented under the direct supervision and guidance of the Moulvibazar district administration.” He wants such activities to be launched in all schools in the country.
