Editorial
Mro young men in CU
There should be more of them in higher education
We congratulate the three Mro young men who have become the first in the community to enter Chittagong University (CU) to pursue higher studies. We are sure the entire community is basking in the glory of the three, and an example has been set for the people of other backward communities to follow. To get admission in Chittagong University is no mean feat, and the young men have done it with unwavering determination, sincerity and perseverance. We are sure they have won a big battle against many odds.
The Mros of the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), about 70 thousand strong, belong to one of the backward communities that has little access to education because of the scanty number of primary and secondary educational institutions in the hilly areas. The lack of better communication facilities, lack of opportunity to receive education in their native language, shortage of qualified teachers and financial constraints are among other obstacles that are pulling back some of the ethnic communities in CHT. The annual dropout rate in the area is about 70 percent at the primary level and about 40 percent at secondary level. Pursuing higher education, in college or university, is one option very few want to try because of economic conditions.
In an interview with The Daily Star, the three Mro men talked about free access to quality education as a fundamental right of every citizen of the country. But they hit the nail in the head when they mentioned that commercialisation of education that makes it prohibitive should be shunned. We cannot but agree with the young representatives of the ethnic communities that the dignity, culture, language and fundamental rights of the diverse communities all across the country must be protected and sustained. We would like to echo their sentiment that a society is more beautiful when it is diverse.
We take the opportunity to urge the government to set up more primary and secondary schools and colleges in the areas where different ethnic communities live. This is a basic right and we are sure many more young men and women from those communities will make the best use of the opportunity. Higher education will definitely help bring many of the communities out of the poverty cycle and into the mainstream of society.
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