Online Desk: State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Zakir Hossen today said the government will change the strange names assigned to some government primary schools within the next six months. Names of many schools in Bangladesh are “bizarre and have negative meanings”, the state minister said. “We will rename such institutions within six months,” he said while speaking at a press conference at his office in the secretariat today.

These schools will be renamed either in line with the the local history, culture or after famous personalities including valiant freedom fighters, he said. The state minister also provided some examples of institutions that will be renamed such as Charkawa Government Primary School in Barishal and Chorerbhita Government Primary School in Mymensingh. Primary and Mass Education Secretary Farid Ahmed said they have so far identified about 200 such schools.

A policy has been finalised. As per that, an upazila-level committee and a district-level committee have been formed who will work on identifying institutions that require renaming. A gazette notification will be issued in this regard within the next six months. Farid Ahmed also said the results of scholarship exams for class-V students will be published by February 25 to 28. He further added that curriculum dissemination training of all primary school teachers will be completed by March.