Rural ICT Center along with Digital Photography Lab in BHS Collegiate School in Boria, Kushtia
July 21, 2007 by Voice of South
Begum Hamida Siddique Collegiate School (BHSCS) is located at village Boria 10 km from Kushtia town. There was no high school within 6 km area of this village and no education for the girls before 1995 the school was established. The school has now been enjoying computer facility from 1998 and a computer course was introduced at that time in the school for its general (Class IX and X), vocational and college section to enhance computer education among the students.
Presently the school has about 20 students in general section, 35 in vocational section and over 60 students in college section who are learning computer. These numbers are increasing day by day in the school and there is a clear demand of more computers in the school. From 1998 to till date, a total of 800 students have been trained on computer education from this school.
The fixed telephone Internet was introduced in the school in 2005 and recently (April, 2007) the school has installed a GPRS to provide better and reliable Internet facility to the students and teachers and the community of the school. The school has an orphanage and the orphan students are also introduced to this advanced technology. The money collected from the teachers and students who are enjoying this facility is paying the monthly payment for the Internet.
A training course on computer and Internet has been opened in the school for the outside
students and also for the community surrounding the school. The people around the school now come to school to enjoy this facility. The students and teachers who would go outside the school about 7 km away for their photographs are now using this digital photo studio to get their photographs and many young and old people from the community now come to the school digital photo studio to get photos.
The school is earning money as income source from this facility and the school students and teachers and the community are ultimate beneficiaries of this service. The school is now trying to expand this facility by introducing its own website for ICT and introducing computer online education. The Digital Equality Network (DEN) has extended its cooperation to turn this center into GHAT (Global House for Advanced Technology).
The school information technology center was opened on 14 April, 2007 by the president of the School Engr. Mr. Quamrul Islam Siddique, the President and former Chief Engineer, Local Government Engineering Department. Two Japanese delegates Mr. Susuma Sugatani, JICA Expert, LGED and Mr. R. Ogata, JICA Expert, DPHE attended the occasion.
Boria School (BHSCS) has a scenic beauty with around 5 acre of land with a four storied building , a large water pond with Shapla flower, beautiful garden with many species of trees, a big playground for sports, a wind turbine for water lifting, solar panel for lighting, biogas plant for cooking, having vocational trades for electrical wiring, radio, TV repairing, dress making and fashion design, typing and IT; a good library for the students, science lab for research, a post office which was built with low cost housing technology, a mosque for prayer and an orphanage for the orphans students. With all these facilities under the guidance of 25 dedicated teaching staff (8 female teachers), the school provides an excellence of educational, social and cultural activities amongst over 600 students out of 
which 300 are girls students.
The school fosters moral development and upholds spiritual values at its forefront activities amongst the students with the spirit of ‘ Siddique Foundation’ the principles of which are providing services to the mankind. Please click the website http://www.siddique.com/bhscs for your virtual visit to the school.
Source:
Reba Paul
e-mail: qis@bol-online.com
this is a unique example of how community can develop & contribute to the mainstream education sector.although this institution is founded by the siddiqui foundation& mr.kamrul islam siddiqui–a former secretary of GOB is heading the institution;but it is an example of how community people can contribute for advancement of the country.not only people like mr.siddiqui–there r lot of other people like:the expatriates,local corporates and many others would become interested 2 involve themselves in the education sector, if they r given the chance by the government.
perhaps this particular example can be mainstreamed through exchanging visits by the GOB officials of the education sector and also the school teachers,students,SMC members should visit the school.