After a great success of achieving Million Development Goals which incorporates universal access to education by all levels, Bangladesh focuses on introducing the technology-led educational system for our young fellows. In all sphere of society, students are in need of attaining technological skills by which they can thrive in a world of rapid technological advancement. Following this, Bhangura, one of the remote villages of Pabna has experienced “Education and Technology Festival” on October 23, 2019 with the active participation of four hundred students from 19 high schools of the village, Bhangura. This was the very first festivity took place in the history across the entire region.
In the morning of the day of the festival, students and teachers from all the schools attended the festivity with the national anthem and great enthusiasm. The flag was hoisted by the President of Jarina Rahim Girls’ High School, Engineer Dr. Masud Mohammad Zahid Hassan and the head teacher Md Faruq Hossain. Attending the festival, District Education Officer SM Moslem Uddin exclaimed in joy that more and more students would be encouraged by arranging such events for school going students in Vangura. Shortly afterwards, the festival was inaugurated by blowing the balloon.
The festival was designed with the Math Olympiad Competition, Science Quiz Competition, Debate Competition, Exhibition of Robotics, Poster Presentation of science project, Programming Competition and so on. There were a special arrangements for the teachers of those schools. All the teachers of those schools participated in a workshop arranged by the “Education and Technology Festival” committee.
Math Olympiad Competition: Remove the Fear of Math
Math Olympiad is organized to strengthen the base of mathematics of these school going students which will help to grow an intense interest by removing their fear of math. Md. Hojaifa Islam from Mamtaz Mostafa Ideal School, Arpana Ghosh from Government Bhangra Union High School and College and Sanjida Khatun Simi from Hasina Momin Girls High School won the Secondary category by participating in the Mathematics Olympiad. The winners in the junior category were Al-Arfan of Government Bhangra Union High School and College, Md. Jewel Rana and Md Mehrab Hossain Mithu of Char Bhangura Lower Secondary School.
Robotics has Brightened up the Festivity
The special attraction of this festival was the Exhibition of Robotics by students of Jarina Rahim Girls’ High School for the festival. They showed their line follower robot to everyone by operating this on a specific line and answered various questions from the audience. These students of the school took part in the 2nd Bangladesh Robot Olympiad national event held at Dhaka University on September 5, 2019.
Coding Fun Grabbed the Interest of the students
In the other section of the festival, some of the students participated in a Programming Contest. Adamaria High School's Md. Limon Islam, Md Hojaifa Islam and Md Mamun Ali's team got the championship in the programming competition from the students attending the festival. It is mentioned that they took part in the festival by crossing the beel by boat for about two hours. The leader of the winning team, Md. Limon Islam said, "The main reason for their success is the active participation in the programming camp organized by Bangladesh Open Source Network and also their regular practice”.
The first runner-up in the tournament was the team of Nusrat Jahan, Halima Khatun and Seema Khatun from Pukurpar Ideal High School. The second runner-up was the team of Bhangura Jorina Rahim Girl's High School consisted with Jaima Jarin, Nausaba Asfin Saba and Jannatun Ferdous Tur.
Note that, Bangladesh Open Source Network arranged a programming camp on 30 September, 2019 with the students from four schools of Bhangura, Pabna.
Science Quize
Winners of science quiz from secondary category contest are Mamtaz Mostafa Ideal School Utsho Ghosh, Antar Ahmed of Ashtamanisa High School and Nusrat Jahan of Kandi High School.
The winners in the junior category were Sumayia from Moidan Dighi High School, Md. Bahauzzaman and Md. Abdus Sami of Government Bhangra Union High School and College.
Debate Competition
Participating the debate, Nadia Mehzabin, Tasnim and Ms Masuma Jannat of the Government Bhangra Union High School and College got the championships. The best speaker was Jannatul Ferdous Usha of Ashtamnisa High School. Munir Hasan, general secretary of Bangladesh Open Source Network, Sajjadur Rahman Chowdhury, Executive Director of Bangladesh Freedom Foundation and Dr. Jasimuzzaman, Country Director of the Volunteer Association for Bangladesh, encouraged the winners to wear the medals and display the certificates.
Workshop for Teachers
In addition, special workshop for teachers were arranged by the mathematics and science teachers from the registered schools of the festival. In this workshop, teachers were trained on how to make any science and math topics interesting to our students and how to involve them in an interactive lecture in the class.
Poster Presentation of Science Project
At the end, students of Jorina Rahim Girl's High School displayed posters made of science on the school ground and answered various questions on that topic to the audience.
It is mentioned that, on 22 and 23 February 2019, students from Jarina Rahim Girls’ High School participated in the activity of BdOSN titled ‘Kudrat-e-khuda Science Camp’ which was held as the activation of the 6th Children Science Congeress-2019. This activation aimed to spread the concept of science project and research among the students.
In the afternoon, the open stage of the school announced the results of the winners. Upazila Secondary Education Officer Mr. Md. Saiful Islam, Upazila Secondary Academic Supervisor (Education) Rita Rani Pal, Principal of Government Haji Jamal Uddin Degree College, Mr. Shahiduzzaman were also present at the festival.
The schools participating in the festivals were- Government Bhangra Union High School, Bhangra Junina Rahim Girl High School, Ashtamanisa Union High School, BB School & College, Hasina Momen Girls High School, Patulipara High School, Bheramara Udayan Academy, Par Bhangra Union Lower Secondary School, Char Bhangra Lower Secondary School, Mamataj Mostafa Ideal High School, Choto Vishkhola High School, Rupsi High School, Karatkandi High School, Maidan Gariya High School, Pukurpar Ideal High School, Sultanpur High School, Dohpara High School, Dilpasher High School and Adabaria High School.
Regarding organizing the festival, Dr. Masud Md. Zahid Hasan, president of Jorina Rahim Girls’ High School commented that such programs would be organized regularly from now on to encourage the students of Bhangra.
Note that, this “Education and Technology Festival” is jointly organized by Bangladesh Open Source Network and Internet Society, Bangladesh Chapter. As an association with Kazi IT Limited and Computer Services Limited. The overall cooperation was with Amber IT, Volunteer Association for Bangladesh, Bangladesh Science Popularization Association, Maksudul Alam Science Laboratory, Biggan Baxo and Nagaraik Television.
Bangladesh Open Source Network (BdOSN) started an initiative with 18 female students from Bhangura Jarina Rahim Girls’ High School aiming to bring rural girls into the spotlight of science and technology and to increase their participations and involvement in this field by visiting the most renowned IT Companies and some of our historical places. This initiative was supported by KAZI IT Center. To expand this interest of science and to hold the continuation of this effort among those students, BdOSN organized a science camp “Kudrat-e-khuda Science Camp” on 22 February, 2019, celebrated a six day long Technology Week on 25 August to 1 September, 2019. After the preliminary preparation through this week, students of this village attended a two day Residential Camp in Dhaka just before the Robot Olympiad, 2019 and participated in the 2nd National Robot Olympiad on 5th & 6th September, 2019.
With the association of Amber IT and Internet Society Chapter, BdOSN has brought the fiber optic connection to Bhangura Rahim Girls’ High School. With this connection, there held a two days Programming Camp on 30 September and a Competitive Programming Contest on 23 October in which nineteen teams of sixteen schools from this village participated in this programming contest on 23 October. And in recent time BdOSN has started an online live class in Sheikh Rasel Digital Lab in Jarina Rahim Girls’ High School at Bhangura which is conducted from the capital city Dhaka. This live class will continue with the title of ‘Connecting a Village to Digital Education’.