Many said the children would never learn. For a long time, their parents believed it too. Their teachers said the kids shouldn't be in first grade. All of them have failed these girls who have slumped here in self-disgust.

In such a situation, Dhaka Ahsania Mission (DAM), a major NGO, came to their rescue. In a survey conducted in Panjia union, DAM workers detected them as slow learners. They met their parents and said their daughters are not the problem. They asked them to send their daughters to attend 'Sopan' tutorial course where additional teaching support is provided to slow learners under the Community Learning Action Project (CLAP) or Bikash, an innovative programme developed by DAM. It was aimed at ensuring quality education in primary schools through joyful learning.

The six children attended a Sopan centre for 10 months where trained tutors taught them for two hours daily before or after school hours for six days a week. This resulted in strengthening of their basic foundation. 'The girls excel today at their school', said Belkati Non-Government Primary School headmaster Md Belal Hossain.

Kumud Ranjan Mondol, headmaster of Dongaghata Non-Government Primary School and Achinta Kumar Mondol, headmaster of 38 No Ghagha Government Primary School also echoed similar views.

DAM has been implementing the CLAP or Bikash project in 11 unions of three upazilas in three districts since 2005, said DAM deputy executive director M Ehsanur Rahman. The unions, upazilas and districts are Panjia, Keshabpur Sadar, Mongalkot, Trimohini, Majidpur Sufalkathi, Bidyanandakathi, Sagordari and Giuri Ghona unions in Jessore, Olipura union of Raipura in Narsingdi and Alipur union of Satkhira Sadar in Satkhira, Rahman said.

As many as 20, 778 children have been brought under the fold of the programme, he said.

Other activities of the project are organising Camp, Parenting, Child Development Centre or Shishu Bikash Kendra-SBK and Pre-school intervention, said Dipak Roy, senior field manager of DAM Regional Office at Keshabpur in Jessore.

Camp is a community based learning programme designed to meet special learning needs of third graders to fifth graders while Parenting is a child rearing practice for mothers and would be mothers, SBK is organised to create home based early learning opportunity for children of 3 to 5 years and Pre-School is an intervention for children's school preparedness, he said.

DAM approach to primary education is new and innovative in the Bangladesh context. Generally schools in remote areas are selected where institutions for educating children are scarce.

DAM programme generates congenial and creative environments and co-operative attitudes among the learn-ers. Even the remotest school has all the attributes of quality education reflected in classroom practices which are sustained through regular monitoring. Community access to quality education is reflected in terms of high enrolment, low dropout rates and the achievement of students.

The programme is designed to serve the most disadvantaged communities. They are managed and supervised in a way that ensures quality and sustainable education at the least possible cost.

Apart from recording a relatively higher rate of attendance and attainment and fewer drop-outs which led to improved primary learning and literacy, DAM programme also made possible improved health and acceptance of new ideas in the working areas.

DAM's major development agenda is to give voice to destitute and poor people which will ultimately contribute to the improvement of the society in Bangladesh.