Change the mindset of running after jobs: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today put emphasis on allocating more funds for technical and vocational training from the Prime Minister's Education Assistance Trust to develop a skilled and efficient generation.

"Skilled and efficient youths can be entrepreneurs instead of running after jobs. We should change this mindset," she said at the 6th advisory council members' meeting of Prime Minister's Education Assistance Trust at her office.

Sheikh Hasina, also chief patron of the advisory council, said the government formed the council to give educational assistance to talented, disadvantaged students.

Stressing the need for updating information on stipends, she directed the authorities concerned to give responsibilities upon the officials of the concerned ministry in this regard.

She also gave her consent to a proposal of allocating Tk 5 crore more as seed money to give financial assistance to MPhil and PhD students. The government earlier gave Tk 5 crore to this end. With the new money the amount will be Tk 10 crore.

The prime minister, annoyed with excessive number of students in classrooms, asked the authorities to take effective measures in allowing students to get admitted in the educational institutions in accordance with their seat capacity.

Prime Minister's Education Assistance Trust was constituted in 2012 with Tk 1,000 crore as seed money aimed at providing scholarships to underprivileged, meritorious students.

Since 2013, some Tk 550.9 crore has been provided to students as stipend and financial assistance.

The trust has decided to allocate over Tk 111.4 crore for 2,09,600 disadvantaged students of private educational institutions this year.

Advisory council members of the trust, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni, Planning Minister MA Mannan and State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Mohammad Zakir Hossain were present there.

Deputy Education Minister Barrister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury, PM's Principal Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus, Finance Secretary Abdur Rouf Talukder, PM's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim, PMO Secretary Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah, Dhaka University Vice Chancellor Dr Md Akhtaruzzaman, University Grants Commission Chairman Kazi Shahidullah, and Bangladesh Association of Banks Chairman Nazrul Islam Mazumder were present among others.