TDS Desk:

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has directed education officials to consider restarting government stipends for both male and female students while ensuring their nutrition and health.

The PM gave the directives while attending a meeting of Prime Minister’s Education Assistance Trust at his office in the Secretariat’s Cabinet Division on Monday.

During the meeting, officials informed the PM about the Trust’s activities, aims and purposes alongside its role in preventing dropouts through providing financial assistance to the students.

Officials also discussed the impact and achievement of the universal stipend programme for female students undertaken during former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s tenure. The positive impact of this scholarship on ensuring school attendance, continuing studies and discouraging child marriage also received focus.

The PM directed the officials to consider restarting the stipend programme from sixth grade to university level. He emphasised creating a specific proposal for the initiative, which will include the approximate expenditure, number of beneficiaries, implementation process and expected social and educational impact.

The prime minister also expressed interest in providing stipends to male students based on merit to encourage them towards education.

The nutrition and health protection of students also received attention during the meeting. Officials discussed various aspects of mid-day meal management at school level, nutrition value of foods provided, preparing safe food for children and ensuring their supply.

The prime minister prioritised the safety of the food provided to the students and called on the officials not to compromise with their quality.

Education Minister ANM Ehsanul Haque Milon, Prime Minister’s Education Adviser Mahdi Amin, Education Secretary Abdul Khaleque, PM’s Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon and others were present at the meeting.