A Smart Education Festival has been held in Dhaka with the goal of creating a smart education framework.
The festival, held on Monday-Wednesday, was organized by the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) at the International Mother Language Institute in the capital's Segunbagicha area, reads a press release issued on Thursday.
The festival marked the start of the smart education strategy aimed at implementing the new curriculum, with the ultimate goal of building Smart Bangladesh.
The event featured 20 smart education activities, and people from all walks of life participated in ten seminars held during the festival.
During the inaugural ceremony of the Smart Education Festival, Minister of Education Dr Dipu Moni was present as chief guest.
In her address, Dipu Moni explained the plans and objectives of the festival, highlighting the importance of smart education in the development of Bangladesh's educational system.
Deputy Minister of Education Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury, Md Kamal Hossain, senior secretary, Technical and Madrasah Education Division; Suleman Khan, secretary, Secondary and Higher Education Division, were present as special guests. Prof Md Shahedul Khabir Chowdhury, director (College and Administration), DSHE, made the opening remarks at the inaugural ceremony.
The program was chaired by Prof Nehal Ahmed, director general, DSHE.
CourtesyDuring the opening ceremony, Dipu Moni emphasized the significance of smart citizens in building Smart Bangladesh. She highlighted that smart citizens can be developed through smart education, with a crucial element being the new curriculum. She expressed gratitude for the collective effort of the partners and stakeholders invested in developing a robust curriculum.
Deputy Minister of Education Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury said the progression from Digital Bangladesh to Smart Bangladesh is the next logical step.
Smart education was highlighted as a crucial tool in realizing this vision. The main goal set forth was to break away from conventional practices and norms.
Brac Institute of Educational Development (Brac IED) actively participated in the event, showcasing a diverse range of materials focused on early childhood development (ECD), mental health and learning through play at their stall.
In Brac's play-based Play Labs, children can engage in play-based learning and activities that foster holistic childhood development. Like the Brac Play Lab, the play materials are made using local materials collected at low or no cost. The Play Labs are designed to be child-friendly and fun-filled and spread out over children's imaginary worlds.
Several educational institutions exhibited different themes with stalls in this three-day festival.
During the program's second day, which took place on Tuesday, captivating discussions and insightful seminars were held, drawing the attention of teachers, students and parents from diverse regions across the country.
On the final day of the festival, Brac IED organized a seminar titled Non-Formal Early Childhood Development, which was led by renowned pre-childhood development specialist Nahid Parveen and distinguished research expert Taslima Begum.
The seminar shed light on the pivotal role and effective approaches in nurturing and caring for young children during their formative years, aiming to shape future smart citizens. The event concluded with a workshop on material development, where all participants actively engaged in utilizing low-cost or no-cost educational resources.
