STUDENT AND POLITICS

 One of the most widely-discussed controversies of the day is whether students should take part in politics or not. The root cause this extraordinary state of things lies in the historical background of our struggle for freedom. Both in Bangladesh and India, students inherited a tradition of political activity of having borne the brunt of this sub-continents fight for independence.

Those who favour the participation of students in politics base their stand mainly on four arguments. Firstly, students of to-day being the citizens of tomorrow, it is necessary to give them some training in politics alongside their pursuit of study. This would go to make their education realistic and practical. Secondly, students have both a duty and a right to see that the country is governed well. Thirdly, students being the must selfless section of the population, their participation in politics ensure a better ensures a better service of national interests. It is they alone who can act as the unfailing friend of the people against corrupt and selfish politicians who otherwise are apt to realize their own end at the expense of the nation. Taking all these factors into consideration, they argue that students should be encouraged to take interest in politics.

Those who disfavour student-politics advance two arguments in the main. Firstly, politics being serious and exciting occupation is antithetic to the pursuit of study which requires coolness of mind. The two can never be done together without the former gradually absorbing the latter entirely. Secondly, to do politics in modern society, faced with complex national and international problems, is a hard job and calls for enough of experience and sagacity, tolerance and patience. It needs cool judgment, dispassionate approach to problems and tactful handing of complicated situations. All these and other virtues that make a true politician came with age and are hardly to be found in the youth, much less teen-aged students.

Both the views are vitiated by extremism. While there is not denial that the participation of students in politics may bear some to them and the society, the possibility of ultimate loss to both cannot be overlooked. It is also important to note that students may hardly remain impartial enough to check corrupt politicians and protect popular interests. More often then not, they have been found to be swept off by the tide off by the tide of catchy slogans raised by political parties. In that case, they only strengthen the hands of politicians for exploiting the masses with greater success.   

STUDENT LIFE

Student life is a period of preparation for all the problems that face the individual and the community. It is a period when a man fills his mind with the fuel of ideas to set sail on the voyage of life. It is rightly called the seed time of human life. 

There is no rose without thorn, on rights without duties and no pleasures without pains. No wonder then that a student has certain duties to perform. He has to discharge duties to own self, to his parents, to his family, to his country, to the wide world and what is more to God-

The first and foremost duty of a student is to acquire knowledge. But he must not confine himself to the prescribed books only. He must read newspapers, magazines, novels, dramas and poetry during his leisure. This kind will wide widen their mental horizon and enable them to be acquainted with many thing of the world.

A student must take care of his health because sound mind lives in a sound body. Good health is the key to success. In order enjoy a good health a student must observe the rules of health.

A student can go on excursion and picnic with his fellow students. All these things will bear good effect on him. They will drive his monotony. Excursion will increase his knowledge. His mental outlook will be broad.

School and college arrange debate, discussion, seminars and symposium. A student can take part in all these things and widen his knowledge. As a result he may be something great in future. A student can render many social and benevolent activities. He can teach the unlettered the importance of family planning, malnutrition, sanitation, population explosion etc. During the time of natural calamities he can distribute food, medicine pure drinking water and cloths to the victim. These activities enable a student to gain practical training in humanitarian work.   

THE LIBRARY AND ITS USES

Library is a room or building containing books for reading or reference. In general sense, however, the emphasis is on the collection of books, whether stationed under a roof or not. Libraries are divisible into there kinds personal, pubic and institutional. The first type implies individual ownership and exclusive right of access. Private people of sufficient means, both out of thirst for reading and fashion, may collect a series of books on different subjects and place them in a corner of his residence or office. Such a collection is called his library. Private libraries of real quality and use were owned in the past by British Lords and Reminders and Maharajas of this sub-continent. In our country small-scale private libraries are possessed by solvent middle-class people, particularly lawyers, offices and educationists.

The second type that is public library is the order of the day. It is to be seen in large number in every country. A public library by its nature is open to the public in general. Accordingly, it contains books of different varieties and subjects with a view to responding to the varying need and taste of its readers. The primary function of a public of a public library is to land books but in any library worth the name there is spacious reading accommodation where readers may sit in solitude and study for hours together.

The third of the kind is the institutional library, as it may be called, because it is maintained by some institution a college, a university, a trade union, a chambers of commerce or a government department. Such a library is open to the members of the institution concerned.

It is never possible to describe the used of library in full. Man needs to read as he needs to eat. Reading not only strengthens his knowledge but also preserves his mental health and thus keeps him fit for the struggle of life. But none except a few can buy all the books he must read. As for the students and teachers, their occupational pursuits would be badly affected without the library maintained by their respective institutions. Gradually with the growth of the habit of reading, the reader develops the instinct of possessing at least some of the worthy books which leads him to book-shop.

Library has also other important uses. Without well-equipped library, whether public, private or institutional, research work is next to impossible. Because all the valuable books of all ages and the rare manuscripts and old records of the past can be maintained only by a library.

In consideration of these and other uses of the library, every nation aiming at the enrichment of its civilization should treat the organization of libraries with a high degree of attention. In short, an all-out drive should be launched upon to build up in the country a net-work of libraries and make arrangement of financial assistance that they may not be closed down in future for want of funds. 

HOW TO REMOVE MASS ILLITERACY

Illiteracy of the general mass is one of the major ills from which our country suffers in common with other backward countries. It has been recognized as the birth right of every individual in a free sate. Mass ignorance defeats all attempts of progress and darkens the future of the nation. The sooner illiteracy is removed the better it will be for the individual and the community at large.

The schools we have at present are for children whose age ranges from 6 to 16. The syllabuses and the curriculum followed in these institutes are cast into a certain pattern and designed to prepare boys and girls for higher academic education in of whom are grown up men and women. Therefore, a new set of schools have to be introduced for giving education to these people. These may be called schools for adults. 

We have to keep within view certain facts regarding these education centers. Our population being very large, the number of these schools will have to be proportionately considerable-at least one in each locality of three or four villages. The adult education canters cannot aspire to have grand schools buildings. These schools will aim at imparting some elementary enlightenment along with a little better knowledge of the vocation the learners pursue. As most adults are busy earning their bread in the daytime, it will be convenient for them to attend schools if classes taken at night.

In this country only a small minority of the children get the opportunity of attending schools regularly. Number of schools in the village’s fall of what it should be. The existing schools are in such a deplorable condition that they beggar description. So a staggering number of school-going children stand in need of some facilities for rudimentary education. To that end compulsory and free primary schools should be started to accommodate these neglected future citizens of the country.

Mass literacy should never be confined to the three R`s. It must also aim at making the learners useful and capable of applying the new acquisition to the earning of their bread. Efforts should, therefore, be so planned and equipped as to be able to impart a large variety of vocational trainings. Thousands of our illiterate people are unemployed because they have neither any land to cultivate nor any finished knowledge of the arts and crafts. If such people can be taught various handicrafts, such as weaving, carpentry pottery, smother, caning as also trained in the handling of small machinery, their unemployment problem will be considerably solved. Over and above, mass education centers should take special care to impart knowledge of scientific agriculture, of health and sanitation and also give the learners some sort of civic training so as to make them fit for good citizenship.

To make the programmer of mass literacy successful, it is, therefore, essential to keep in view the question of removing the current appalling poverty of the masses.      

       

ILLITERACY

Illiteracy means inability to read and write. Illiteracy is a cure because it is illiteracy that lowers down human being to the level of beast. Illiteracy is compared to darkness because it darkens individual s vision, outlook, behavior and in a word, all aspects of life. It is the root cause of ignorance, superstition, backwardness, poverty and many more.

Poverty is the main cause of illiteracy and vice versa. Similarly, underdevelopment causes illiteracy is the cause of underdevelopment. The are other causes too. Over population, financial and resource constraints, people s superstition and negative attitude about education, lack of awareness etc, are responsible for illiteracy.

Illiteracy generates hundreds of problems. Because of illiteracy people do not know how to earn well and how to spend well. As a result they can not come out of their poverty trap. Many do not have knowledge about food and nutrition. So they suffer from various kinds of diseases. In a word illiteracy is the cause of poor socio economic condition, high mortality rate, low life expectancy, child labor and child marriage and high rate of population.

Illiteracy frustrates all developmental programmers of the government. Again in order to improve the poor condition of the illiteracy people, govt. has to spend a huge some of money on different programmers. This affects other sectors and hinders long term development of the country.

Population of a country is termed as its human resources. The educated and skilled manpower of a county is its great asset. But if the people are illiteracy, they become a great burden for the country. Illiterate people cannot contribute much to the social and economic development of the country.     

As illiteracy is the root cause of all evils. It should be the number one agenda of govt. Though govt. has taken various measures like making primary education free and compulsory, girl’s education up to higher secondary level free and the highest allocation for education in our national budget, still the measures are inadequate. Govt. must ensure that the money is being utilized properly and effectively. Govt. need to set up more educational institutions, make reading materials cheap and available, and grantee employment after completing education. Again private sectors, NCOs academician and patrons of learning should come forward to spread the light of education in every house. We have also to make our people aware of the importance of education. Medic can play a great role in this regard.

Reducing of poverty is the most effective way of removing illiteracy from society. So govt. must work in co-ordination with others to fight poverty and increase literacy rate.

The present illiteracy rate is still high in our country. That is why we are lagging behind in all respects then many other nations. If we want to build a happy and prosperous nation, if we want to stand in honor and dignity among the nations of the world, and if we want to develop our living condition, we must remove illiteracy from the country.