This letter is in reference to an article titled 'BD sees biggest fall in global index' that was published in the Financial Express on December 01, 2018.
The article reported about Bangladesh's fall in rankings among its Asian peers in 'English Proficiency Index'. This is a global ranking of various nations by the average level of their citizens' English language skills.
Bangladesh was ranked 63rd among 88 countries included in the index this year, securing an overall score of 48.72. This is a lower score than previous year's 50.96 scored by Bangladesh. In 2017, Bangladesh had ranked 46th among 80 countries.
This is the largest decline for any Asian country mentioned in the survey. Bangladesh was ranked below India (28th), Pakistan (50th) and Sri Lanka (58th). Only Afghanistan has a lower ranking than Bangladesh in the index.
Among Asian economies, Singapore is doing very well at the third spot in overall ranking. Philippines has grabbed the 14th position, Malaysia (22), Hong Kong (30), South Korea (31), Vietnam (41), China (47), Japan (49) and Indonesia (49).
The study mentioned that "A third of teachers in Bangladesh are not certified to teach," while noting that in many countries, deficiencies in English education reflected much larger systemic issues.
The FE article had asked some experts about the reasons behind this ranking. The experts pointed to the country's education system, which is backdated and not in line with the national education policy. Some experts said that English is taught to students in schools to prepare them for examinations and not to serve the purpose of practical and professional life. Some criticised the Primary School Certificate and Junior School Certificate exams at the primary and secondary school levels as being unnecessary.
Weakness in English proficiency is most likely holding Bangladesh back. Communication is a very important aspect in the world. People from different countries communicate with each other in English, followed by other languages.
Without good command of the English language it is tough for Bangladeshis to secure high-paid jobs in the global market. A strong grasp over written and spoken English is also required for the day-to-day negotiations and operations of sectors engaged in international trade.
It's time that the government considered this situation and took measures to address it. Maybe the process of teaching English language in schools and colleges can be changed. The curricula can be developed in a manner that will encourage young students to learn and read, not just English textbooks, but also English articles, novels, magazines and newspapers.
They should enjoy reading and speaking in the language, rather than fearing it as 'an element from the exams'.
Akibul Javed
Indira Road, Dhaka
© 2024 - All Rights with The Financial Express
