::: Star Insight :::

Guru Griho

From Sirajganj
Sirajganj Collectorate School and College Focuses on English

Md. Sanowarul Alam

Since its establishment in February 2003, Sirajganj Collectorate School and College started its journey with the goal of fostering the education of English in the northern part of the country. Though it was set up with the name “Zila School, Sirajganj” earlier, later, the name was changed to its present name and it introduced the Edexcel curriculum of the U.K. Noticing the deplorable state of education, especially of English, taught in the institutions of the district, the then Deputy Commissioner (now Joint Secretary) Mr. Ebadot Ali along with the officers of Sirajganj Collectorate including Mr. Hamidul Haq Khan, took initiative to set up the institution.

Of course, the then District Minister chiefly patronized this. Located at the heart of the town near the Collectorate Building, the school gives a very nice view with wide and spacious premises of 2.18 acres of land. Though it started with only about 100 pupils, now it has about 300 students in 12 classes. Besides imparting education in accordance with Edexcel syllabi, the school is also emphasizing on extra-curricular activities like acting, singing, dancing, and drawing etc.

The school is also familiar and popular for the involvement of The Daily Star Readers' Club and the English Club. The members of these clubs, gather here about three to seven days a week to discuss different affairs taken from the Daily Star. Through this sort of discussion they try to improve their skills in English and to widen their outlook. Mr. Mohammad Ibrahim Khalil, Deputy Commissioner, Sirajganj and Chairman Sirajganj Collectorate School and College and Mr. Saiful Islam Bhuya, Magistrate are advisers to these clubs. The school is enriched with a teaching staff of 35, a well-equipped computer and science lab, language lab with audio-visual equipment. This school, though a young one, has achieved some great success in the field of education, art and culture, language and music. Nishad Ahmed Mohona, a student of STD IV, secured second position in a nation-wide competition of Nazrul's songs last year. Omar Faruk a student of STD-II stood first in the essay writing competition on disabled children sponsored by National Protibondhi Forum, Dhaka, Fahim Rashid Araf a pupil of STD-II has been selected as one of the eight junior ambassadors of Bangladesh who are going to attend the 19th International Children Festival for Asia and the Pacific to be held at Fukuoka in Japan in July, 2007. Moreover, the students are snatching leading positions and prizes in every competition arranged in the district level on singing, art, recitation, dance, essay writing etc. Besides culturing mother tongue, the school is also nourishing an English Club for the young generation and fostering The Daily Star Readers' Forum to popularize English as well as the Daily Star. So, in all respects Sirajganj Collectorate School and College is an outstanding one and a model for other schools of its kind in North Bengal.