The government will introduce pre-primary education in all government primary schools in the country within a year or two.

"A policy for pre-primary education has almost been finalised, and we will introduce it in one or two years," State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Motahar Hossain said yesterday.

"We are now taking measures to equip one classroom in each primary school for the year-long pre-primary education," he added.

The state minister was speaking as chief guest at a roundtable on 'Role of pre-primary education to achieve education for all' in the city, jointly organised by Brae Education Programme and The Daily Jugantor.

He underscored raising awareness of guardians of students to ensure success of the government step.

Motahar said primary education is now in a miserable state

as neither the teachers nor students come to schools timely. Moreover, education officials are not doing properly their job of monitoring this. Measures are being taken to improve this situation, he said.

Besides providing tiffin for students of primary schools, the government will give Tk 100-stipend per month to every poor student from this month, the state minister said.

Other speakers at the roundtable said pre-primary education would greatly reduce drop out rate.

Abu Alam Mohammad Shahid Khan, acting secretary of primary and mass education ministry, said they have identified 1,500 villages without primary schools, and schools will be set up there soon.

Rasheda K Chowdhury, executive director of Campaign for Popular Education, urged introducing pre-primary education also at day-care centres.

Dr Shafiqul Islam of Brae education programme presented a paper.

Chaired by Mahbub Hossain of Brae and moderated by Sirajul Islam Abed of lugantor, the roundtable was also addressed by former vice chancellor of Dhaka University Prof Moniruzzaman Mia, Shyamol Kanti Ghosh, director general of the Directorate of Primary Education and Mahbub Hasan of]ugantor.