PATHSHALA?S RESPONSE TO BDNEWS24.COM?S REPORT

Pathshala Campus
Pathshala Campus

A report on Pathshala South Asian Media Institute, published by the online news portal bdnews24.com, has come to our attention (?Shahidul Alam?s Pathshala operates without affiliation,? bdnews24.com, 6 August 2016). Unsubstantiated allegations, backbiting and innuendo and the absence of cross checking characterise the ?report.? It is a shoddy piece of journalism. Continue reading “PATHSHALA?S RESPONSE TO BDNEWS24.COM?S REPORT”

On the ?uncertified? Pathshala

At a time when our entire education system is in crisis, the quality of education is in question and the values that student?s inculcate is a source of fear.?A student of?Pathshala South Asian Media Institute,?in response to questions about the validity of the very certificate he has obtained, talks passionately about the institution?s pedagogic model and how he has been transformed by it.

by Mahtab Nafis?

Mahtab Nafis
Mahtab Nafis

A letter to whom it may concern
BEFORE joining Pathshala, I had studied in nine schools and one university (all certified) in this country. But never before had I found an environment similar to the one at Pathshala. South Asian Media Institute, founded by Shahidul Alam. Forget about competing, none of them are even light years close.
From a very early age I had sincere doubts and disagreements with the ?socially accepted? and ?certified? educational systems. For, all I had seen was a bunch of sheep-like people following a curriculum given by a governing body or authority without assessing, questioning or having an opinion on the teaching method or the materials. It seemed that people blindly followed the dictum ?this is how things are?, an attitude which I could never accept. Everywhere, I saw teachers give students instructions or orders to follow a rigid structure, to memorise, to cover the syllabus. Even those studying in a creative field had teachers who would promote and indoctrinate a particular pattern of thinking or school of thought. This basically means that you are thinking other people?s thoughts and are being conditioned in someone else?s mental shadow. Continue reading “On the ?uncertified? Pathshala”

Dawn-to-Dusk Opposition Strike

Photos by Monirul Alam, text by bdnews24.com

The opposition enforced countrywide shutdown protesting against the latest hike in fuel oil prices began on Sunday amidst tight security necessiated by incidents of explosions and vandalism yesterday evening.

BNP supported lawyers shout slogan during the dawn to dusk strike in Old Dhaka on Sunday. The Bangladesh National Party BNP and its 18 party alliance enforced a countrywide dawn to dusk shutdown protesting against the latest hike in fuel oil prices January 06 2013/ Dhaka, Bangladesh- ? Monirul Alam
BNP supported lawyers shout slogan during the dawn to dusk strike in Old Dhaka on Sunday. The Bangladesh National Party BNP and its 18 party alliance enforced a countrywide dawn to dusk shutdown protesting against the latest hike in fuel oil prices January 06 2013/ Dhaka, Bangladesh- ? Monirul Alam

The government on Thursday increased prices of octane, diesel, petrol and kerosene for the fifth time in four years, despite a threat by the opposition alliance to enforce a strike within a day of the hike.
A Bangladeshi  policeman fires a rubber bullet to disperse the procession during the dawn to dusk strike in Old Dhaka on Sunday. The Bangladesh National Party BNP and its 18 party alliance enforced a countrywide dawn to dusk shutdown protesting against the latest hike in fuel oil prices January 06 2013/ Dhaka, Bangladesh ? Monirul Alam
A Bangladeshi policeman ?in Old Dhaka fires a rubber bullet to disperse the procession during the dawn to dusk strike on Sunday. The Bangladesh National Party BNP and its 18 party alliance enforced a countrywide dawn to dusk shutdown protesting against the latest hike in fuel oil prices January 06 2013/ Dhaka, Bangladesh ? Monirul Alam

Incidentally, the shutdown has come on a day when the ruling Awami League led coalition completes four years in office.
A Bangladeshi  polices carries a water drum to  try to remove  fires on the burning car during
Bangladeshi policemen carry a water drum to try to quench the fire on a burning car during the dawn to dusk hartal enforced by the opposition 18 party alliance on Sunday. January 6 2013. Dhaka Bangladesh. ? Monirul Alam