‘Play, Learn, Act’ is a new project started from 2016 January, developed by the British Council, and supported by grants from the HongKong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC) to enhance capacity in 20 governmental primary schools in three years. The objective of the project is to enhance literacy and communication skills of 22,500 students, teachers, school administration staff and parents in Bangladesh and to develop their analytical and thinking skills to help them express their thoughts, ideas in an articulate manner.
Among the total eligible population in Bangladesh only 18% can communicate in English due to the learner’s shyness, scarcity of appropriate teaching/IT resources, and competent teachers. Bangladeshis consider English as a ‘Subject’ to pass rather than a language to communicate. Therefore, with the aim of building capacity, HSBC Bangladesh in partnership with the British Council is working on various projects since 2013.
The targeted teachers and students are from underprivileged background with no access to additional learning/IT resources outside their regular school curricula. The British Council has already developed small libraries in the participating schools to link students directly with the world of knowledge. The teachers are trained to use the books and children are developing their language skills, reading habits in English and doing different activities to explore their creativity. Students draw pictures from the stories they read and play roles from the story in the classroom. Such activities develop skills which aim to further essential life and employability skills for the future. Moreover, through community events HSBS volunteers are developing their sense of contributing to the society and their interpersonal skills, connecting to the grass root level creating community bonding.
Selected Institutions
1. Amtoli Staff Welfare Government Primary School
2. Kalachandpur Government Primary School
3. Shahjadpur Model Government Primary School
4. Uttor Badda Government Primary School
5. Azimpur Model Government Primary School
6. Nilkhet Government Primary School
7. Jafrabad Adarsha Government Primary School
8. Jafrabad Government Primary School
9. Bangabandhu Government Primary School
10. Mohammadpur Government Primary School
11. Motijheel Ideal Government Primary School, Motijheel
12. Khilgaon Government Koloni Government Primary School, Motijheel
13. Piaru Sarder Government Primary School, Kotowali
14. Nidhu Sritee Government Primary School, Ramna
15. Khilgaon Model Government Primary School, Motijheel