Inclusion of acting, drawing, ganasangeet demanded 

Cultural activists have expressed concern over the exclusion of improvisation acting from the competition category in the National Education Week 2022 celebration and demanded inclusion of acting, drawing and ganasangeet for nurturing children’s creative mind.

Actors Equity president Ahsan Habib Nasim and the general secretary Rawnak Hasan said that they would convey their concerns in written form to the authorities concerned and call for inclusion of improvisation acting in the competition category.

‘Performing arts are essential part of cultural activities and it inspires children to participate in creative activities in their school days. It is unfortunate that acting has been removed from the competition category,’ said Ahsan Habib Nasim.

‘A nation cannot move forward if cultural activities are ignored. The authorities concerned have to take necessary steps to increase cultural activities and include acting in educational institutions,’ said Rawnak Hasan.

Bangladesh Charushilpi Sangsad general secretary Kamal Pasha Chowdhury said that drawing was not included in the competition category of co-curricular and cultural competition in the National Education Week Celebration Policy 2022, which was issued on April 27.

He alleged that drawing was an important category in different competition programmes for children in the educational institutions back in the day but a section of people had been trying to exclude drawing from the competition as well as from the education sector.

Mentioning a political cause behind such exclusion, Kamal Pasha Chowdhury said, ‘There are some extremists in education sector, including the education board, division and ministry and they want to exclude drawing from education.’

Sammilita Sangskritik Jote, an umbrella platform of cultural organisations, president Ghulam Quddus said, ‘Although improvisation acting was one of the main categories in the competition, it has been removed this year. The step taken by the authorities concerned has raised some obvious questions. We would like to know who has taken the decision and why? The education ministry has to give explanation to people.’

‘Cultural activities play a big role in facilitating children’s cognitive development. Acting and drawing help them develop creative thinking. If the authorities concerned show apathy towards creative activities, it badly affects our children’s development,’ said Ghulam Quddus.

Ghulam Quddus also added that the authorities should introduce ganasangeet in the competition for making the younger generation aware of this music genre, which has played important roles in the country’s various historical movements.

Besides expressing their concerns, the cultural activists also demanded the authorities concerned to take steps to include drawing and acting in the national level competitions as well as in other programmes.

The National Education Week Celebration Policy 2022 is featuring competitions in 15 categories, including Qiraat, Hamd/Naat, Essay Competition in Bangla, Essay and Speech Competition in English, Bangla Poem Recitation, Debate Competition, Patriotic Songs, Songs of Rabindranath Tagore, Songs of Kazi Nazrul Islam, Classical Music, Folk Music, Jarigan, Speech on the Country’s Founding President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Liberation War, Classical Dance and Folk Dance.

In the National Education Week Celebration Policy 2019, there were 14 competition categories, which remained unchanged in 2018 and 2017.

National Education Week was not celebrated in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 crisis.

The authorities have made some changes in the competition category of this year’s celebration. They have introduced essay and speech competition in English. Besides, speech on the country’s founding president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Liberation War has been introduced and improvisation acting has been removed.

The competition in educational institution level was held on May 11 and 12. The competition will be held in upazila level and Dhaka metropolitan’s 25 thanas on May 18 and 19.

It will also be held in district level on May 23 and 24 and in the division and Dhaka metropolitan level on May 29 and 30. Besides, it will be held in the national level on June 5 and 6.

Secondary and Higher Education Division secretary Md Abu Bakr Siddique said that he had nothing to say about the competition category as the decision was taken by a committee.

Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education director general Professor Nehal Ahmed could not be reached over phone for comment despite various efforts.

Source: Inclusion of acting, drawing, ganasangeet demanded (newagebd.net)