The newly adopted skill-based education curriculum for secondary and higher secondary levels in Bangladesh has drawn huge criticism among the guardians. This system drastically changed the traditional knowledge-based educational model by initiating an application-based learning method. The traditional class tests, exams, and evaluation system have also been changed with this new curriculum. In an exclusive interview with Dhaka Tribune’s Ali Asif Shawon, Deputy Education Minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury revealed the reasons why the government has initiated this fresh curriculum. Here’s the first part of a three-part interview.
Why has the government initiated this new educational system and curriculum?
There has been a crisis of teachers in East Bengal since the British period. Because of this crisis, our whole approach has been knowledge-based until now. Our expectation was that we would give the students books and they would learn.
As a result, there was little communication between the student and the teacher. Routine monitoring and routine communication between the student and the teacher have historically been lacking. This knowledge-based curriculum was all over the Indo-Pak subcontinent. In this method, there is connectivity between the students and the teacher, and there is an opportunity to learn the application of knowledge. Now, eighty students can easily be told the definition of a preposition or conjunction, but it is difficult to ask them to find out where a preposition is in a sentence. Our learning gap was always very high because of the shortage of teachers compared to our students.
Education consists of two things. One is the learning outcome. Learning outcomes are the subjects taught in a year. And whether there has been an outcome or not is called the learning gap. We evaluate the learning gap and learning outcomes through tests. In the knowledge-based tests, we ask what a pronoun is, how many types are there, and what are those? He is passing the test by answering these questions. By evaluating this result, we say that our learning outcomes have been achieved. But as he enters his private life, he learns about car engines, but he never learns to drive a car in real life. Similarly, now we are getting very little outcome by teaching grammar and other subjects to everyone in society. Because most of them just memorize it and write exactly that in tests.
Not everyone will be a doctor or engineer in our society. Those who will become doctors and engineers will learn special skills. When a mature brain learns about specialized education, it will be much easier for him to apply it. They can learn that later. But when you give heavy content to a ten- or twelve-year-old, the chances of dropping out begin.
Bangladesh has achieved a cent percent enrollment record at the primary education level as it is free. Everyone is getting admitted. The government's capacity in the junior secondary education system is very low. The number of institutions under the Monthly Pay Order (MPO) and their teachers is very low. 10% of students drop out of school due to the complexity of subjects from primary to junior secondary. There are mechanisms in place to prevent this dropout through sub-stipends. But they do not always work due to various expenses, including school fees.
The content that we teach at the school level is quite heavy. We don't have enough teachers to teach this content. Notre Dame College and Viqarunnisa Noon School & College have teachers. However, these institutions are not available throughout the country. We need to think about public education. Mass education should be considered. If we think about mass education, we need to retain students in institutions for a long time. If a student can be retained for 15 years, be it in contact or in the classroom, he will learn, and this learning will be much better for him than dropping out.
Our first goal is to reduce school dropouts. A large part of them are dropping out due to exams and compulsory classes. Some 20% of students drop out in the transition from fifth to sixth grade. Maybe they go to a madrasa or kindergarten. There are many unregistered schools and madrasas in the country. These dropouts are the lifeblood of our country's economy. They work in mills and industries; they send remittances from abroad; and they work in the garment industry.
If we can keep them in the classroom until eighth grade with a life-oriented, life-laced, vocational-driven, experiential learning curriculum, they can learn concepts much more effectively with the mentality to apply.
For example, if plant leaves are green because of chlorophyll, instead of memorizing it, it would be more useful to actually show that plant leaves are green because of chlorophyll. If he drops out after eighth grade, then he can take up some profession in agriculture and be able to put this subject to practical use. Our model was knowledge-based. The colonial model was that I would make a few clerks who would do official work for us, and the rest would be utilised.
After independence, Bangabandhu wanted to get out of this education system. This is the educational philosophy of Bangabandhu. He wanted practical, life-linked education. That is why the Constitution says that basic education will be free.
There are a number of social media trolls on some of the new textbooks. What would you say about them?
We have added a book called “Jibon Jibika," which is being criticised on Facebook. In this book, we look at the types of future professions—from freelancers to teachers, doctors, nurses, and caregiveThere is information on all the professions.
Now the book is very effective. After reading this book, one will know how to become an entrepreneur by taking loans from a bank. Such basic information is covered in this book.
If one learns these in classes, then he or she can become a carer even if they drop out after SSC.
Earlier, our curriculum used to give two options to students. Either you become a doctor or a rickshaw puller. There was no middle ground.
A boy will decide to become a doctor or a nurse after 16 years. We want to ensure his basic education until the age of 16.
In Bangladesh, one-third of those who study science at the school level do not study science at the higher secondary level. There is no point in knowing the complexities of physics in class nine. If I want to study physics, I will learn it later.
How will you adopt the new education methodology step by step?
We are going to keep the basic curriculum at SSC level. We want to keep special subjects at the HSC level. It is a feature of this new curriculum.
Another topic is experiential learning. Everyone should have basic knowledge of science, math, social science, and business studies up to the age of 16.
The modern and developed countries follow this method, and they keep the heavy subjects for the upper levels.
Calculus is taught at the university level in the USA, whereas in Bangladesh we learn it at the age of 14. The fear of calculus is instilled in a student in such a way that he becomes afraid of its name. As a result, we are introducing an age-based curriculum. In class six, the students who failed because of rote learning end up in madrasas or become child labourers.
The schools expelled a large number of students each year in order to maintain a successful record. There is an MPO facility for the successful schools and no MPO for the rest of them. If we can stop this practice until 14 years of a student’s life, then they will have basic learning. Those who will do well will study at a higher level and go to universities.
This curriculum has been present in the developed world for ages. We want to change the knowledge-based curriculum. India has also understood this need, and as a result, they are going to introduce a new education policy with an emphasis on life-oriented education.
Now we are going to bring non-formal education into the formal education system. This is called Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). But we are emphasizing the Bangladesh Qualification Framework (BQL). As a result, if someone learns any other skill while in school, we will give it institutional recognition and add it to their education.
In Japan, if a student plants a tree and makes it grow, he gets a mark. In our country too, these life-oriented lessons should be given to the students.
Logic is very weak among science students in our country, and creativity is also comparatively weak. The reason for this is psychology. We lack creativity in our science education.
The US has the most patents in the world, followed by Japan and other countries. If a student is not creative or imaginative, he will not be able to imagine new things. It is the creative mind that paves the way for new discoveries.
Meanwhile, humanities and business students can think scientifically. There is a difference between being science-minded and knowing basic science.
We have given a lot of importance to higher education in our country. As a result, the salary and income of a skilled person are seldom much higher than those of a highly educated person.
Being a doctor or surgeon is not the only job at a hospital. There are nurses, and there are caregiveThe same is true for law and engineering.
Dhaka Tribune: What are the proposed textbooks in this new curriculum?
There are ten subjects from sixth to eighth standard as basic subjects. They are Arts and Culture, Religion, English, Bangla, Life and Livelihood, Digital Technology, Health and Safety, Science, History and Sociology, and Mathematics. One or two of these subjects will not be there for class nine or ten students.
How are you preparing the teachers for this new system?
We are giving them training to teach using this new method. We know we have limited resources, but that should not stop us from changing something that is not working for us. For example, now I don’t have the capacity to purchase a smartphone. Does it mean we will not try to use it? We use what we have, plus we will try what is coming.
The guidebooks available on the market are totally question-answer-based, encouraging students to memorize English sentences rather than learning the language. The new curriculum will change the total ecosystem of education.
In the name of encouraging students of the ages of 11, 12, and 13, they compete to become the first, second, and third in the class. This creates huge discrimination among the students. Teachers are seen to focus only on the toppers. Now that the class roll system is closed, teachers will be held accountable because their students are not competent. We will understand it by the middle of this year.
What do you think regarding the widespread criticism?
There is definitely political influence here. Cultural subjects are life skills. Many people want to use religion as an evil source.
If we see dance as a physical exercise, then there should be no problem with religion. If you don't let a girl play, dance, or exercise, then you are planning to keep her in darkness like an inanimate object, like in Taliban society. That is not acceptable. She has to develop mentally. Educational institutions can now compel them.
Tell us about the preparation of this curriculum.
The work began much earlier. In the year 2012, there were some changes in the first curriculum. A creative method was added. This new curriculum was supposed to be launched in 2017. While upgrading, we found out that it is difficult to earn marks under the creative method and that it is also difficult to judge creativity. It appeared to us that the students were getting a GPA of 5, but they don't know how to calculate their GPA. Because there was no life-oriented education there. Many were memorizing numbers with formulas. That's why our universities don't want to trust public exam results; they conduct separate entrance exams.
The initial work began in 2017, mainly in collaboration with Unicef and in consultation with local and international consultants. The basic work of this curriculum was done between 2017 and 2020. It was delayed due to the pandemic; otherwise, this curriculum was supposed to be launched in 2020. This curriculum has been piloted in the laboratory schools of our country.
