Agami Inc., a US-based non-profit working to ensure better education for all children, hosted a panel discussion on the Future of Education in Bangladesh: Exploring New Curriculum, Technology Integration, and the Evolving Role of Teachers on March 16, 2024, at Brac Learning Centre, Uttara. The program was held as part of the 20-year celebration of Agami Inc. The discussion explored the intersection of the new curriculum and how teachers will adapt and contribute in this new era under a global perspective on innovative approaches to education reform.
The discussion placed thought leaders of international development, policy advocates, education futurists, and practitioners in dialogue to offer their insights on identifying strategies that will empower educators and learners alike. Panelists also shed light on how positive changes in education are the biggest catalyst for economic and human development as Bangladesh continues its journey towards becoming a middle-income country.
Moderated by Mr. Mohammad Wahid Hossain, a former civil servant now working as the Country Director of Agami Inc., the panel initiated the discussion by sharing Agami Inc.'s 20 years of impactful work and contribution to enhancing opportunities for quality education for underprivileged children. Dr. Ahmad Ahsan, Director of the Policy Research Institute (PRI), Bangladesh, analyzed the importance of education as one of the key components for development. Articulating the role of educators in fulfilling the purpose of education, he placed the role of teachers at the core of development. "It is undeniable that teachers have the core responsibility of a change maker. And technology plays the main role in equipping them, assisting them, and training them effectively.”
"Education has a deep connection in determining in which direction the future Bangladesh is proceeding," remarked Dr. Akhtar Mahmood, an expert in innovative approaches to development and policy dynamics. He identified the key challenge of the current education system and focused on the importance of redefinition of development from an economist’s perspective. He emphasized the importance of increasing productivity and innovation, instead of glorifying the production capacity.
Dilruba Chowdhury, Director of Agami’s Education Technology Program (Agami EdTech), and the focal personnel of Khan Academy Bangla, a key initiative of Agami EdTech, shared Agami’s contribution to introducing personalized and tech-based learning in traditional teaching-learning practices. As Agami is working towards perfecting the incorporation of education technology, introducing localized platforms like Khan Academy Bangla, and Kolibri, she promised to continue contributing to teachers' capacity development and providing support to partner schools. "We are planning to create a Center of Excellence, an ideal classroom, which can be replicated further. And we are here to provide you with modern solutions in facing educational challenges,” said Dilruba Chowdhury.
Nafisa Khanam, a former educator and current lead of Agami’s Teacher’s Training program, who has been closely collaborating with NCTB to contribute as a trainer, curriculum developer, and resource person, explored the innovative sides and challenges of implementing the new curriculum. She assured teachers that the new curriculum is going to supplement them with best practices in classrooms.
The audience of the discussion consisted of 30 teachers from 15 schools who, before the panel discussion, received a three-day long training as part of the project “Learning in Tab” initiated by Agami EdTech, donors, consultants, and members of the Agami EdTech team. The discussion ended with an engaging conversation where the teachers, whose voices are hardly heard, shared their experiences, and challenges, and promised to collaborate for a brighter future for education in Bangladesh.