SCHOOL EDUCATION Absence of cultural activities stunts students’ creativity

Absence of cultural and literary activities from most schools is hampering creativity among the students.
Educationists blamed lack of authorities’ interest for the alarming situation.
They said cultural, literary, music, dance, art, debate, quiz, story writing and essay writing competitions were now matters of the past.
Schools no more encourage their students to bring out wall magazines or souvenirs. 
They said these pursuits, known to foster dormant talents are neglected for no justifiable reason.
Absence of these positive pursuits is often blamed for many students getting derailed and taking various crimes including drug abuse.
Notebooks and guidebooks together with the absence of cultural activities, take deeper toll on leaners’ creativity, said academicians.
They held lack of interest of teachers and parents for the situation.
They said when teachers and parents take interest only in results in exams nothing better could be expected. 
Secondary and Higher Education officials said that no National Education Week celebrations took place from 2008 to 2015.
They said that national education week celebrations encouraged schools to host in house competitions on wide areas including essay writing, recitation, debate competitions, music and song competitions besides dance and drama events.
The resultant growth of a new generation without proper development of faculties caused serious concern in professor emeritus Serajul Islam Choudhury.
He said that students now lack creativity as they were denied the opportunity at schools to develop their dormant talents.
Serajul Islam Choudhury and co-chairman of the National Education Policy Formulation Committee 2010 Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad said that the education system in this country compels students to chase the best grades. 
Teachers no longer care for students and they just come to schools to save their jobs and spend most of their times with tuitions, said Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad.
Secondary and Higher Education director general SM Wahiduzamman said that government was trying to increase facilities of cultural activities.
‘We reintroduced education week in 2016to encourage schools to host cultural and literary activities,’ he said.
Bangladesh ranked 117th among 128 countries in the Global Innovation Index 2016 jointly published by Cornell University, INSEAD, and the World Intellectual Property Organization.
Bangladesh is facing a barren period so far budding poets and writers are concerned said stage actor Mamunur Rashid. 
Each year mostly poor quality books of new writers are brought to the Ekushey Book Fair, said, Serajul Islam Choudhury.
Campaign for Popular Education executive director, Rasheda K Choudhury expressed concern over absence of libraries auditoriums from most schools.
A dangerous cultural vacuum had been created in the society warned Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad. 

 

- See more at: http://www.newagebd.net/article/15517/absence-of-cultural-activities-stunts-students-creativity#sthash.q4vVAkEw.dpuf