President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Friday called for a comprehensive overhaul of the country’s education system, aligning it with Bangladesh’s culture, heritage, employment opportunities and national needs.
“We have to restore our education system afresh by combining our literature, heritage, culture, employment opportunities and all other related necessities,” he said when a delegation of Association of Private Universities of Bangladesh (APUB) met him at Bangabhaban.
“The fragile education system left behind by the previous regime must be revamped afresh. It is necessary to introduce an integrated education system by bringing together various types of education systems,” the President said.
He said indiscriminate approval of low-quality educational institutions during the previous regime had contributed to the creation of an unskilled workforce in the country.
Emphasizing the importance of vocational and technical education, the President said such education could help produce skilled manpower, create employment opportunities abroad and increase the country’s foreign exchange earnings.
During the meeting, the APUB delegation apprised the President of the overall development of higher education, the current state of private universities, efforts to develop skilled human resources and the contribution of private universities to the country’s economic progress.
The delegation sought the President’s cooperation in introducing a performance- and results-based evaluation system and approving new universities based on subject-wise demand, national needs, investment capacity and quality standards.
They called for the introduction of updated curricula, internships, apprenticeships, foreign-language education, artificial intelligence (AI) and professional skills training to ensure that graduates are equipped for employment.
The delegation further urged the President to take steps to transform the University Grants Commission (UGC) into a supportive and development-oriented regulatory body and to formulate an integrated national education system.
Praising the contribution of private universities to the country’s development, the President noted that several private universities of Bangladesh have secured positions in global rankings.
As Chancellor of the universities, the President assured the delegation of all-out cooperation for the development of private universities.