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Unit Fourteen: Human Resources
Lesson 1
Literacy: an age-old concept
Objectives: By the end of the lesson you will have
• expanded an idea
• read a few extracts
• done a comprehension exercise
• prepared a table
A What is the rate of literacy in Bangladesh? Why do you think our literacy rate is low? Discuss in pairs.
B Read this passage about literacy in ancient times.
Literacy as a skill was first institutionalised in Mesopotamia, Syria, Egypt and China soon after the art of writing was invented. Education then was not for the general people but a privilege for the chosen few who took on strategic roles in the running of the state and in religion. In Greece, education became more widespread in about the 5th century BC. The Greeks, however, sent only their male children to school. When Rome was conquered by the Greeks, the Romans under Greek influence developed a strong tradition of literacy. The Romans preferred their children to acquire knowledge about-agriculture and warfare. It appears that the course of education is as eventful as the history of man.
C Now read this passage on literacy in the middle ages.
The Prophet Mohammad (SM) equated one literate non-believer with ten illiterate believers. Islamic civilisation pivoted on literacy and patronage of scholarship. Ibn Sina (called Avicenna in the west), one of the most famous Muslim philosophers of all times, saw the task of education as creating a complete citizen, physically, mentally and morally, and preparing him for a profession whereby he could earn his own livelihood and contribute to the society. In the views of Al-Farabi, another great Muslim philosopher, education was-one of the most important social phenomenon which made sure that the individual was .prepared from an early age to acquire values, knowledge and practical skills within a particular culture.
(UNESCO: Thinkers on Education 1)
Now discuss with your partner the following in the light of the above texts.
1 What do you understand by literacy?
2 Why is the 5th century BC important in the history of education?
3 Although the ancient Romans were conquered by the Greeks, there was a positive outcome. What was it?
4 In the Middle Ages, what contributions did Islamic thinkers make towards the idea of literacy?
D Summarise the two texts in about 50-60 words each.
E Read the text below -about education in the twentieth century in our part of the world. It deals with the establishment of the University of Dhaka in the early twentieth century.
The founding of Dhaka University: On 3! January 1912, a deputation of Muslim leaders of East Bengal led by Nawab Salimullah, Nawab Syed All Choudhury and A.K, Fazlul Huq met Viceroy Lord Hardinge to voice their demand for a university in Dacca. This was vigorously opposed by other leaderships. A Calcutta Commission charged with the task of preparing a scheme for establishing a university in Dacca also opposed it.
The British government, however, ignored these objections and had the Dacca University Act passed by the Indian Legislative Council in 1920. The new university started functioning in 1921, with three faculties, twelve teaching departments, sixty teachers, eight hundred and seventy-seven students and three residential halls.
Today, there arc eleven faculties, forty-six departments, nine institutes and centres for advanced study and research, fifteen residential halls, fourteen hundred teachers and about twenty-eight thousand students.
In the early decades, the university zealously maintained high academic standards earning for itself the reputation of being the "Oxford of the East".
(The Asiatic Society of Bangladesh: Dhaka: Past, Present and Future)
F Prepare a table of events that led to the establishment of the university.
Dates Events
1912
...............................
............................... demand for university
................................................
................................................
G Now turn your attention to present day Dhaka University.
1 How old is the University today?
2 Notice the different spellings —Dacca and Dhaka. Why and when was the name changed?
3 Write in your own words what you know of today's "Oxford of the East".
4 Write a similar description about the establishment of your college (about 100 words).
Focus:
Skills.
Reading, writing, speaking.
Functions.
Describing historical events.
Grammar/Structure.
Superlative degree.
Vocabulary.
Prophet, literate, philosophers, individual, tradition, ignored.
This text will be replaced
Unit Fourteen: Human Resources
Lesson 1
Literacy: an age-old concept
Objectives: By the end of the lesson you will have
• expanded an idea
• read a few extracts
• done a comprehension exercise
• prepared a table
A What is the rate of literacy in Bangladesh? Why do you think our literacy rate is low? Discuss in pairs.
B Read this passage about literacy in ancient times.
Literacy as a skill was first institutionalised in Mesopotamia, Syria, Egypt and China soon after the art of writing was invented. Education then was not for the general people but a privilege for the chosen few who took on strategic roles in the running of the state and in religion. In Greece, education became more widespread in about the 5th century BC. The Greeks, however, sent only their male children to school. When Rome was conquered by the Greeks, the Romans under Greek influence developed a strong tradition of literacy. The Romans preferred their children to acquire knowledge about-agriculture and warfare. It appears that the course of education is as eventful as the history of man.
C Now read this passage on literacy in the middle ages.
The Prophet Mohammad (SM) equated one literate non-believer with ten illiterate believers. Islamic civilisation pivoted on literacy and patronage of scholarship. Ibn Sina (called Avicenna in the west), one of the most famous Muslim philosophers of all times, saw the task of education as creating a complete citizen, physically, mentally and morally, and preparing him for a profession whereby he could earn his own livelihood and contribute to the society. In the views of Al-Farabi, another great Muslim philosopher, education was-one of the most important social phenomenon which made sure that the individual was .prepared from an early age to acquire values, knowledge and practical skills within a particular culture.
(UNESCO: Thinkers on Education 1)
Now discuss with your partner the following in the light of the above texts.
1 What do you understand by literacy?
2 Why is the 5th century BC important in the history of education?
3 Although the ancient Romans were conquered by the Greeks, there was a positive outcome. What was it?
4 In the Middle Ages, what contributions did Islamic thinkers make towards the idea of literacy?
D Summarise the two texts in about 50-60 words each.
E Read the text below -about education in the twentieth century in our part of the world. It deals with the establishment of the University of Dhaka in the early twentieth century.
The founding of Dhaka University: On 3! January 1912, a deputation of Muslim leaders of East Bengal led by Nawab Salimullah, Nawab Syed All Choudhury and A.K, Fazlul Huq met Viceroy Lord Hardinge to voice their demand for a university in Dacca. This was vigorously opposed by other leaderships. A Calcutta Commission charged with the task of preparing a scheme for establishing a university in Dacca also opposed it.
The British government, however, ignored these objections and had the Dacca University Act passed by the Indian Legislative Council in 1920. The new university started functioning in 1921, with three faculties, twelve teaching departments, sixty teachers, eight hundred and seventy-seven students and three residential halls.
Today, there arc eleven faculties, forty-six departments, nine institutes and centres for advanced study and research, fifteen residential halls, fourteen hundred teachers and about twenty-eight thousand students.
In the early decades, the university zealously maintained high academic standards earning for itself the reputation of being the "Oxford of the East".
(The Asiatic Society of Bangladesh: Dhaka: Past, Present and Future)
F Prepare a table of events that led to the establishment of the university.
Dates Events
1912
...............................
............................... demand for university
................................................
................................................
G Now turn your attention to present day Dhaka University.
1 How old is the University today?
2 Notice the different spellings —Dacca and Dhaka. Why and when was the name changed?
3 Write in your own words what you know of today's "Oxford of the East".
4 Write a similar description about the establishment of your college (about 100 words).
Focus:
Skills.
Reading, writing, speaking.
Functions.
Describing historical events.
Grammar/Structure.
Superlative degree.
Vocabulary.
Prophet, literate, philosophers, individual, tradition, ignored.