Dear Friends, I am happy to report to you about our activities that happened between May and September. Most of these remain the same, therefore, the routine/common things such as observation of hostel days, various competitions, yearly sports/athletics and aquatics competitions, observations of Bengali New Year’s day, pre-Christmas in the hostels etc. during the period are eliminated from this report.
As reported previously, the Swansea teachers paid a visit to Oxford Mission (OM) high school on 25 January 2011 and they arranged a return visit to Swansea for 7 days in June for a group of 10 (5 students and 5 teachers) from 5 leading schools (both Government and non-Government). OM High School were included in this group. The British Council in Bangladesh kindly made all the necessary arrangements.
The OM Management Committee has identified an urgent need for a new dormitory building for the girls of St Agnes’s Hostel. The existing one was constructed around 1920 and was badly damaged in the cyclone of 2007. An appeal for funds to re-build the same was made through the OM Magazine (issue May-October 2010). A local appeal was also made locally through the Church Magazine and efforts are on-going to raise funds for the purpose. Some of the local donors are responding slowly. We do thank our donors for their kind response and do ask God’s Blessings upon them. However, we are still eagerly waiting for the necessary funds (approximately £136,000). All are requested to stretch out their helping hands to send their kind donations, big or small, to the General Secretary of the OM Committee in UK.
The decisions in OM Management Committee:
(a) Due to the high rise in price of all essentials, the Synod Board reviewed the existing staff salary scale and allowed a salary rise for the employees, with effect from January 2011;
(b) The service contract between the Church of Bangladesh and Mr. Byapari, the manager, expired on 31 May of the present year. The committee decided to extend his job further until a suitable candidate is found for the post;
(c) The committee decided to allow new admissions to small girls up to standard five (primary school girls) into St Mary’s Home. Those who pass in standard five will be sent to St Agnes’s Hostel for their next academic studies in the high school;
(d) The OM management committee advised the primary school headmistress and the teachers, together with its committee members, to aim to make the school a self-supported one in the near future.
Academic Achievements. There is no doubt that the academic examination results of our children in schools and colleges are one of our main achievements. Our children achieved a good result in the public examinations this year. The pupils of OM high school got a 91% pass rate in the school final examination in secondary school certificate (SSC). Our Christian girls in the Intermediate class (HSC) all passed with grade ‘A’. They were four in number, from our college girl’s hostel.
Mother Susila. We are all very much grieved that our respected and loving Mother Susila of CSS was called by God on 16 May while she was at the Birdem hospital, Dhaka. Her body was taken to Jobarpar via Barisal and the funeral took place on 18 May, followed by a reception for all the people who attended. We thank God for her fruitful life in Oxford Mission. At the same time, we pray for her departed soul to grant her eternal peace and rest.
Conclusion. While I am writing this report, the hostel children are just coming back from their long holiday after Ramadan. Ramadan is one of the greatest religious festivals in the Islamic world. The promotion examination in our schools will be coming in December, therefore the children will remain very busy with their preparations for the same. But, even in such a busy atmosphere, the pre-Christmas celebrations will be observed with great importance in the hostels.
My thanks go to all concerned, here at home and abroad, for their kind prayers and cooperation with me during my work in OM Barisal. I request you all to continue to pray for our work in OM Bangladesh.
T. K. Byapari
Manager, OM Barisal