Chowdhury Rafiqul Abrar, or CR Abrar, the newly appointed education adviser in the interim government, has said he dreams of an education system where students can envision their futures within Bangladesh.
“Many have asked me what kind of education system I envision as education adviser. My answer is that I dream of an education system where our students can see their futures right here, within our own country,” he said in the ministry meeting room on Wednesday after taking on his new role.
“The honourable chief adviser has given me this responsibility, which is a major challenge,” he added.
He quoted the chief adviser who had told him that the journey ahead will not be easy.
“Education is a vast world. We have all grown up using the taxpayers' money, and therefore, we have responsibility to the people,” said Abrar.
He continued: “I dream of a future where our students can lead the world without leaving the country. I know this may not happen overnight, but we want to lay a strong foundation for this vision.”
Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud, who had been overseeing the education ministry, raised concerns about past education commissions.
He said five or six education commissions were formed in the past and questioned whether they solved any of the existing problems.
“Can we solve problems just by forming a commission with a few people? It takes time to understand the issues at hand. We need a forward-thinking commission.”
He also emphasized the importance of trained teachers to implement curriculum improvements, saying that without proper training reforms will be ineffective.
“It takes time for an education system to deteriorate, and our education system is chaotic and disorganised,” Wahiduddin said.
