Farmer, Father, Educator
by
In 2012, the Kol community of northern Bangladesh needed a teacher for a new multilingual preschool class in the Rajshahi District. The search began for a woman to teach the pre-school children. However, few women in the community have had the opportunity to complete even a primary education. After a long search, one of the fathers in the community offered to fill the position.
A quiet, middle-aged farmer, Nogen believed the multilingual program would benefit his community. Although Nogen didn’t have a lot of confidence about leading young children, he was willing to go through the training and learn the skills he would need.
In the Kol community, school attendance is very low and becomes sporadic during planting and harvest times. Since many parents work as day-laborers in others’ fields, students must stay home to care for younger siblings and cattle. These situations make classroom management challenging.
Teacher Nogen leads his students in an outdoor game.
As he began his role as teacher, Nogen applied the techniques he had learned in his training to plan lessons and keep order in the classroom. He used games and the five-step reading book for successful learning experiences. At a recent training session for Kol teachers and supervisors, Nogen had developed his teaching skills to become one of the most effective multilingual teachers in his community.
Students received a gift of guava saplings as part of an environmental program. High in vitamin C, the tasty fruits will support families' health.
All around the world, the first day of school is the beginning of a journey that will include both joys and challenges. For students from minority communities, language can be a major obstacle to learning success. When the teacher uses a language other than the language children speak at home, it is difficult for them to master foundational skills such as reading and writing. In multilingual programs, students begin school with instruction in their mother tongue. They learn to read in their own language while teachers introduce the language of wider communication as a school subject. As a result, students enter their first year of public school better prepared to keep up with classes in the national language.
Nogen continues to care for his crops and cattle, but now he also holds a leading role in the community. In addition to teaching preschool, he leads discussion groups and recruits people from his village to attend community development meetings. Parents are beginning to understand the value of education and school attendance is improving.
With only about two thousand people, the Kol speakers are one of the smallest ethnolinguistic communities in Bangladesh. They face many challenges, but Nogen believes that education can lead to a better future. For that reason, he makes sure all three of his children attend school and he visits his students in their homes regularly to encourage the parents. Multilingual education teachers like Nogen are making a difference in their community, one student at a time.
Left: A classroom chart communicates expectations for students. Right: Nogen conducts classroom activities.