Cadet Colleges: Where Leaders are Made.
Most of you have heard of Cadet Colleges if you are from Bangladesh. In our country’s educational arena, cadet colleges are well known for their outstanding results in national public exams. Yet, very few actually know what happens inside the restricted boundaries. Well, those who are eager to know about cadets and their secrets to success, I am here to unfold the ‘mystery’ before you.
The first cadet college in Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) was established in 1958 in Faujdarhat, Chittagong. Though cadet colleges were aimed to produce all-round cadets for joining armed forces, they have produced many more eminent personalities and scholars other than defense officers. At present there are 9 boys’ and 3 girls’ cadet colleges scattered over Bangladesh. Cadet colleges are educational institutions and so their main focus remains to provide academic excellence. But it also focuses on overall development for “future leaders”, as cadets are called. Cadet colleges are different from usual residential educational institutions. Unlike civilian students, cadets have to follow a rigorous packed schedule that includes PT or drill, academic classes, games hour and ‘prep times’, to name a few. Other than these regular activities, there are lots of sports and stage competitions which take place around the year.
In my opinion, it’s the unique ‘system’ of these colleges where cadets learn life lessons beyond the prescribed textbooks that makes studying here special. Discipline is an important part of cadets’ lives and it enables cadets to achieve success everywhere. Leadership skills are encouraged through appointing cadets as prefects. A cadet has to live on his own under the guidance of seniors and teachers. So he/she learns to be responsible. When a homesick boy or girl first arrives in a Cadet College, he/she makes new friends from different backgrounds, and with varied interests. They learn to adapt to a new environment which comes handy in the real world.
Students today are cosseted by their parents. They remain busy with their coaching classes and exams, so they hardly have the opportunity to develop extra-curricular skills. But cadets have compulsory game periods almost every day. This is the favorite time for most of them. Leisure can be spent reading, playing the guitar with friends, and going on little ‘adventures’. Of course, many of these are done by dodging the shrewd eyes of the ‘authority’, though that adds extra thrill! Cadets have many activities to indulge in — outdoor sports, debate, wall-magazines and cultural competitions. There are no ‘coaching’ either, and there’s nobody to compel them to study all the time. Many people have the misconception that cadets study a lot. No one needs to study 24/7 to get good grades. It is important to utilize the study time. Cadets have a fixed schedule for studying. They also have the advantage of learning from their friends.
You might ask: Cadets don’t really enjoy their life, do they? Just imagine how you would have enjoyed living with your friends for six years. There is no shortage of watching football matches or movies, playing sports, swimming in the pond and chatting till midnight. At cadet colleges, we realized that in spite of obstacles life is beautiful when we are happy with what we have. Getting drenched in the rain or an adda under the starry night sky can make for precious memories. This takes us to the greatest strength of cadets and ex-cadets — a sense of belonging. All cadet colleges have their own ex-cadets’ associations. Anytime, anywhere in the world, when an ex-cadet needs help, others will surely respond, even if they have never met each other before.
Cadet colleges are said to be ‘the makers of future leaders’. It may sound clichéd but there’s no denying it. As cadets are provided with best possible facilities, they also feel an urge to give something back to their country. We hope that cadet graduates will continue to contribute and take Bangladesh to the front of the world stage.
(Originally published in “The Daily Star”. http://archive.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/cadet-colleges-where-leaders-are-made/)
