Ensuring early childhood development for all children underscored. Photo : BSS

GAIBANDHA, March 19, 2025 (BSS) - Speakers at a function here today underscored the need for ensuring quality early childhood development (ECD)  for all children including children with disabilities to achieve the UN’s sustainable development goals by 2030.

“Children with disabilities face physical barriers that hinder their ability to attend school as
such the possibility of drop out among these children increases. In addition, these
children are detached from various types of services in the ECD /pre -primary
Preparatory program”, they also said.

They came up with the comment while addressing a workshop on launching En- Reach Education project held at the hall room of Primary Teachers’ Training Institute of the town here this afternoon.

icddr,b  arranged  the workshop aimed at sharing the project including its design, methods and operational strategies with district primary education officer Nobez Uddin in the chair.
 
Md. Kamrul Hasan, director, policy and operation, directorate of Primary Education addressed the function virtually joining from Dhaka as the chief guest.

Joynul Abedin, deputy director (Pre-primary and inclusion), directorate of Primary Education, Md. FazlulHaque, and deputy director of department of social services here spoke at the event virtually as the special guests.

Nargis Akhtar, assistant director (Pre-Primary), directorate of Primary Education also participated in the workshop virtually as a guest of honor.
 
Moderated by Utpal Mollick, the function was also addressed, among others, by superintendent of the institute Sadia Afrin Bizly assistant district primary education officer S,M Arshad  and senior instructor of Palashbari upazila Resource Center Rabiul Islam.

A power point presentation on the project was also made by research investigator of icddr,b Mohammad Abdul Awal Miah.

In his presentation, he said the project was launched on January 01 this year and it would be implemented in Sadullapur, Palashbari, Sundarganj and Shaghata upazilas of the district.

Earlier, Dr. Jena Derakhshani Hamadani, Emeritus scientist, icddr,b and project director, En Reach Education, addressed the opening session of the function virtually from Dhaka.
 
Research officer of the project Rowha Anamika Sarker, a  number of  participants including head teachers of primary schools, assistant upazila education officers, upazila education officers, instructors of upazila resource centers and journalists attended the function.