Progress at OIST

Covid delayed student enrollment so that Semester 2 started in October and Semester 3 will begin in January. Before leaving for the year-end break, students enjoyed a sports day with awards and prizes.

Rabiul Islam reports that he is leading a continuous improvement program at OIST with monitoring of classroom activities and regular feedback from the students. During December, OIST faculty met with local high school teachers to recruit students for upcoming Semester 1 Civil Engineering and Computer Technology diploma programs. We expect an intake of about sixty “freshers.” Students earn a tuition reduction if they maintain a GPA of 3.0. They also receive a government bursary for good grades and high attendance. Due to the poverty of local families, we are still subsidizing OIST expenses for about $3000 CAD per month. We welcome your support.

The cost of running Bluebell School

Because it serves a poor community, OFP charges no tuition fees for Bluebell School or the two Early Learning Centres. The greatest cost is for the salaries of the five full-time and four part-time teachers (several shown here with OFP founder Rabiul Islam, BHP Director John Richards and Head Teacher Mr. Altaf (rear L to R). Generous donors cover the cost of salaries, utilities and school supplies, about $1000 CAD per month. About 120 students are enrolled in Bluebell’s primary grades. We welcome your support.

Progress at Bluebell

Rabiul Islam reports that the recent enrollment drive by Bluebell teachers is expected to result in 26 new kindergarten students in January. Most are from Guchagram, the "cluster village" of government housing for landless families (photo). The class schedule has also been revised so that the school day is now longer to provide more instructional time for all students. The primary children have been involved in community projects including village clean-up and tree-planting as part of the One Tree One Child program.