Emphasizing the urgent need for reform in the education sector, Director General of Bangla Academy, Professor Mohammad Azam, expressed surprise that no commission has been formed on the matter.
He said: “The first commission for state reform should be on education.”
He made these remarks at a discussion titled “Violation of Academic Rights in Bangladesh’s Education Sector: Policy Recommendations for Remedies” held on Tuesday at the Maulana Akram Khan Auditorium of the National Press Club.
Professor Mohammad Azam said: “Our government has formed numerous commissions, but there has been no discussion or research on simple education reforms. The first commission for state reform should focus on education reform. Forming an education commission is now the most pressing need.”
He further said: “Various commissions have been formed in our country over time, but the proposals they made were very long-term. Bangladesh, as a state, lacks the capability to implement such proposals. While 6% of GDP should be allocated to education, other countries in the Indian subcontinent allocate 4%, whereas Bangladesh had 2.1% for a long time, and now it is only 1.60%. A good teacher cannot simply be produced through morality alone. With only Tk17,000 as a salary in primary schools, it is impossible to attract good teachers.”
Highlighting the importance of expanding English language education, he remarked: “It is clear that the people of Bangladesh do not know English. Bangladesh ranks 82nd in the list of English-speaking nations. Yet, children from affluent families do not study outside English medium schools. Even no urban topper middle class students do not study at DU. If so many people are studying English, why is the number of English speakers so low?”
Professor Azam expressed optimism, saying: “This situation can change within five years. The recent curriculum is ideal in theory but not implementable. In the introduction to textbooks, they have shamelessly included references to the World Bank and directly translated content about Scandinavian countries from English.”
Expressing hopes for qualitative changes in educational institutions, he added: “We need just one change at universities: if someone is not a student, they cannot stay in the halls. For the first time in 53 years, this situation has emerged. Another rule should mandate elections according to the academic calendar in November, where second master’s or MPhil students cannot vote. In due time, this will yield exceptional results. Currently, collaborations with international universities for undergraduate and PhD programs are possible. Bangladesh fundamentally lacks a solid PhD program.”
He further stressed: “Public universities must launch full-time, fully funded PhD programs. At least two to three universities should have this opportunity. While discussing Madrassah education, the Alia system must be recognized as a mainstream education system. The so-called ‘single-track’ education being promoted is a result of flawed policies. If technical education is integrated with vocational skills for workers going abroad, the results would be exceptional. Management capability must be developed at a minimal cost using digital technology.”