Illiteracy is one of the obstacles that stand in the way of human development and progress. There have been innumerable obstacles to human progress in the past, there are today, and there will be in the future. But illiteracy has become the source of all obstacles. Turning the matter around, all misery is born out of illiteracy. Even today, illiterate people are not considered as human beings in the society. In the words of the poet-
“Studying that.
He rode in a chariot.
I don't know how to read.
Nobody cares. ”
So the campaign against illiteracy is still our first and foremost duty. In order to raise the backbone of the troubled world, education must be adopted as one of the vital forces even today. |
Consequences of illiteracy: People are considered to be practically blind if they do not know how to read. They are deprived of fair rights in all cases. Deserved resources are lost. They cannot take part in national development. As hypocritical people, they become the bane of the society. In carrying this burden, the nation becomes destitute. The backbone of the state foundations is broken.
On the other hand, poverty comes to the country through illiteracy. The inevitable crop of poverty is famine, epidemics, various deadly diseases. Nobel laureate Amartya Sen has shown illiteracy at the root of Ethiopia's famine. Illiteracy is also one of the destructive actions due to environmental pollution. In the words of the poet:
“Education is parashamani
Ala's best Alai,
When education is given, it goes away
As much as the mind.
Mukhlaek is the worst of animals
This is the world.
There is also a difficult path to knowledge
Simple and straightforward. ”
The role of the student community: The direct role of the conscious people of the society is essential in removing this atmosphere of illiteracy. And in every age, the student society has been the main leader of the social revolution. They can liberate the whole nation from the curse of illiteracy with youth, with science, with the wind of progress. On the one hand, they can make everyone in their environment aware of the consequences of illiteracy, on the other hand, they can make a direct contribution to the various programs undertaken to eradicate illiteracy.The responsibility of students in eradicating illiteracy is immense. If school-college students come to the side of illiterate people on holidays and donate literacy and are interested and aware of the importance of education.
Illiteracy and India: The comparative burden of population has pushed our national income to a point where it is impossible to spend huge sums on illiteracy programs. In this case, the student community is the only hope. If they spend at least an hour every day on this program in a planned manner, not a single lake in our country will remain illiterate. We have to remember that India is a country with a population of one hundred crore. In order to turn this population into human resources, the students have to take firm steps now. There is no alternative to getting the best seats in the 21st century world assembly.
Rebel poet Kazi Nazrul Islam said in a bright voice - we are power, we say, we are students. He also hailed the students as vigilant soldiers of youth. If the giant called illiteracy cannot be eradicated from the country, this pride of the students will be tarnished. After all, those who are students today are the leaders of the country in the future. If they want to build a healthy homeland for that day, they have to play the role of architect now.
People without knowledge of letters are illiterate. And the lack of knowledge of this letter of man is called illiteracy. The illiteracy rate in Bangladesh is 40 percent. Illiteracy is the greatest helplessness of life. Illiterate people are blind even though they have eyes. They are almost deprived of the world of knowledge and the world of light. Illiterate people cannot taste knowledge-science, philosophy-art-literature etc. Their lives have somehow failed. They understand nothing of life and the world. Just as he cannot comprehend the thoughts of others, so he cannot express his own thoughts. They spend their lives in the darkness of narrow boundaries like well frogs. Far from participating in the development of the country and the nation, one needs the help of others to understand one's own good and bad.
Illiteracy is a final defeat:
40% of our country is illiterate. Out of the remaining forty, 16/17 can be said to be truly educated. Others can read, write, sign names in any way. It is harmful and shameful for an independent country to have so many illiterate people. The present age is the age of science and civilization. Even in this age, if most of our people are illiterate, then the progress of the nation cannot be expected in any way. The people of our country are uneducated, conservative, superstitious and bigoted. Ignorance has narrowed our minds. They cannot think well. It is not possible for them to improve the country. So illiteracy is the main obstacle to the development of our country. Due to illiteracy, almost all the initiatives at the national level await our defeat.
Examples of developed countries
No developed country was inattentive to eradicating illiteracy. Even states that have just been liberated from subjugation or dictatorship are spontaneously pursuing the problem of illiteracy. In Turkey, for example, the standard of education has increased by sixty percent in twenty years. But this Turkey was once called a sick country.
The cause of illiteracy:
Poverty is the first and foremost cause of our illiteracy. The people of our country are so poor that it is difficult for them to get double the amount of rice. That is why their children leave school as soon as they reach the stage of primary education. Moreover, the rule and exploitation of the British and later the Pakistani government is one of the reasons for our ignorance. The colonial rule took the opportunity to exploit the people of this country by keeping them blind. Although most of the people were able to learn a little at that time due to personal efforts, most of them were in the darkness of ignorance. Yet such a mentality is at work in us. Besides, the people of this country are not very interested in education due to superstition, conservatism and orthodoxy.
Remedy:
Just as food, clothing, and shelter are needed to survive, so is education. Our country is at the very end of the present civilized world. The reason is illiteracy. This illiteracy is at the root of all lawsuits, frauds, injustices and misdeeds in our society. The people of this country must be brought to light from the darkness of illiteracy.
The government's move:
We have broken the shackles of subjugation and gained freedom. Now the country needs to be educated and strengthened. At present, the West Bengal government has made primary education compulsory and food programs have been adopted instead of education to encourage this education. This has received a huge response in the country and the number of students in primary schools has multiplied. Education for girls up to class XII has also been made unpaid and scholarships have been provided to them.
Adult education:
As the government has focused on primary education, there is a need for planning for the education of such adults. The results of primary education are available slowly, but the results of adult education are available immediately. Older citizens of an independent country do not want to be uneducated. Abroad, even the blind, dumb and deaf have been given the opportunity of state education. The efforts of the United States in this regard are commendable. It is not possible for adults to spend more time studying because of earning a living or trying to do so. However, it is possible for them to acquire effective knowledge with a little effort with the help of their mother tongue. It gives us special opportunities to learn about the outside world, general knowledge and language knowledge. So we have to take the initiative to teach the elderly.
Mass Education Center:
At present, mass education centers have been opened in many places with the encouragement of local educated youth. If the directors of these centers are sincere, it will not take much time to eradicate illiteracy. Each school-college can easily provide education to school dropouts, working teenagers and uneducated adults through leisure activities by identifying them as at least one night school in their respective institutions. It is doubtful whether a school or college teacher will get one class a week. Heads and teachers of educational institutions may consider the proposal.
Bengali language simplification:
Plans have been made to simplify Bengali language and grammar. The Language Committee appointed by the government has unanimously recommended to make the Bengali language simple and far-reaching. According to the recommendations of the ‘Easy Bangla Education’ system, any Bengali can learn Bengali in a short time. This simple Bengali education system has facilitated the education of the elderly. Many old men and women are educated in many centers of simple Bengali education system.
Makes, then can get the most benefits. Students in developed countries of the world perform this duty. Illiteracy can be eradicated through the efforts of educated people and social workers of the country. If they go to the villages and explain to the uneducated men and women of the countryside about the consequences of their ignorance, superstition, orthodoxy and conservatism, the public mind will respond.
Illiteracy is an incurable disease in our national life, the ultimate enemy of the country and the nation. If this enemy cannot be destroyed, national progress will not come. It is possible to solve the problem with the help of government initiatives and patriotic awakened people. Remember, just educating yourself will not work. Because, all the blood accumulated in the mouth of the body is not a sign of good health. Excluding the large population of the country, if a few people are educated, it cannot be called an educated nation. It will not improve the country. Therefore, the illiterate people of the country must struggle to get rid of the curse of illiteracy by imparting literacy.
