Advisor Abrar urges students to gift flowers to teachers, parents as token of gratitude

He says the rush among parents to admit their children to top schools will ease once all schools begin to fulfil their true potential

Education Advisor Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar has encouraged students to show gratitude to their teachers and parents by gifting them flowers.

He made the suggestion on Tuesday at an awards ceremony at the International Mother Language Institute in Dhaka.

The Ministry of Education later issued a media statement highlighting the event, which honoured top-performing students from the 2022 and 2023 Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations.

In his speech, Abrar said: “Students and teachers are important members in our education system. Students may have many expectations from the state, but we should present our rightful demands to the government in a logical way, without causing public distress.”

Acknowledging the limitations of public resources, he said that resolving issues in the education sector would require proper planning and optimal use of these limited assets. He also urged citizens to actively contribute to such efforts.

Discussing disparities in school quality, Abrar said: “Parents often compete to get their children admitted to a few top schools. If we can improve the quality of all schools across the country, we can let go of these competitions.”

Outlining his vision for inclusive education, the advisor said: “We aim to build educational institutions where students will find an engaging environment and access everything they need for personal and academic growth. There should be clubs for co-curricular activities to highlight their talent.”

He added that these facilities should be accessible to marginalised communities, including ethnic minorities, indigenous groups, residents of remote shoals, and Urdu-speaking students in refugee camps.

Students with special needs must be provided with appropriate resources to ensure inclusive education.

“We must create an education system where parents can send their children to schools and colleges with peace of mind,” he said.

Abrar also noted the prevailing lack of interest among parents in enrolling their children in technical and vocational education.

Citing multiple reports, he stressed the importance of technical education in creating employment and called for greater attention in this area.