Bangladesh: Quest for quality education
Tuesday, 19 May 2009
Kazi Mohoshin Al Abbas
THE present Awami League (AL) government is on a quest for quality education. Cabinet members including the education minister, have mentioned the need for education reforms. It needs economic planning for a nation to prosper, create wealth and employment and put in an administrative and social system that ensures the rule of law. The political institutions must be pro-people and most essentially there has to be an education policy to create skilled citizens who have patriotism and knowledge to build the country. Education reform should be part of the total national manpower planning, that includes employment needs, population planning and creation of wealth in the near and far future.
In view of the imperatives for having a secular, scientific and people-oriented educational system, reforms in education sector were the election commitment of the AL-led grand alliance.
The prevailing situation in education is bizarre and is closely related to the method of teaching and the contends of the curriculum as well. And again it should be mention that for a quality education, that has the ability to fulfil the national and global demand, education management is very important.
For ensuring quality education, the government's policy-makers should have a consistent philosophy and decide whether education is a commercial commodity or a public service good to the people and one of the fundamental rights of citizens. The philosophical clarity will help government develop a proper education system. If education is a commodity, the management of the sector will be in a corporate culture mood, if it is not a commodity. But it is one of the fundamental rights, management would be in the social sector development mood. This could be made into a public-private partnership under the supervision of the state and society. It is worth mentioning that as per the Constitution of Bangladesh, education is one of the fundamental rights of the citizens of the republic.
Bangladesh has many types of education management systems at present. Public universities are enjoying autonomy but these are not running under a uniform system. Government University Colleges are also providing higher education but they do not have any autonomy, rather these institutes are running under bureaucracy. Non-government colleges are also providing higher education that are managed by the administration passively under a local socio-political influence. A similar scenario is also prevailing at the primary and secondary levels of education. On the other hand, there are other types of educational institutes, from primary to university level, which are totally privately owned. These are being managed in a corporate manner. Government should take into account all the patterns of educational institutions and incorporate the best practices for the development of a better education management system.
In terms of curriculum and medium of teaching, there are mainly Bangla, English, and Arabic educational institutions, with wide differences in the contents. This is creating divisiveness, 'developing' human resources without mental relations with the nation and state. If the education system is to develop the national human resource, a single education system in terms of curricula must be developed, so that there are enough like-minded people to contribute to the nation building process.
Now the question is: quality assurance. Quality is essential to cope with the global competition. Bangladesh also exists in an inter-related and inter-dependent world order. If a single management system that is compatible with global standard could be developed and a single curriculum could be introduced, which could help people to be wise, skill, humane and responsible, then the Bangladeshi population will become assets.
A practical philosophy of education is the most important thing. In Bangladesh, as per the Constitution education is one of the fundamental rights of citizens and the state is responsible for it.
THE present Awami League (AL) government is on a quest for quality education. Cabinet members including the education minister, have mentioned the need for education reforms. It needs economic planning for a nation to prosper, create wealth and employment and put in an administrative and social system that ensures the rule of law. The political institutions must be pro-people and most essentially there has to be an education policy to create skilled citizens who have patriotism and knowledge to build the country. Education reform should be part of the total national manpower planning, that includes employment needs, population planning and creation of wealth in the near and far future.
In view of the imperatives for having a secular, scientific and people-oriented educational system, reforms in education sector were the election commitment of the AL-led grand alliance.
The prevailing situation in education is bizarre and is closely related to the method of teaching and the contends of the curriculum as well. And again it should be mention that for a quality education, that has the ability to fulfil the national and global demand, education management is very important.
For ensuring quality education, the government's policy-makers should have a consistent philosophy and decide whether education is a commercial commodity or a public service good to the people and one of the fundamental rights of citizens. The philosophical clarity will help government develop a proper education system. If education is a commodity, the management of the sector will be in a corporate culture mood, if it is not a commodity. But it is one of the fundamental rights, management would be in the social sector development mood. This could be made into a public-private partnership under the supervision of the state and society. It is worth mentioning that as per the Constitution of Bangladesh, education is one of the fundamental rights of the citizens of the republic.
Bangladesh has many types of education management systems at present. Public universities are enjoying autonomy but these are not running under a uniform system. Government University Colleges are also providing higher education but they do not have any autonomy, rather these institutes are running under bureaucracy. Non-government colleges are also providing higher education that are managed by the administration passively under a local socio-political influence. A similar scenario is also prevailing at the primary and secondary levels of education. On the other hand, there are other types of educational institutes, from primary to university level, which are totally privately owned. These are being managed in a corporate manner. Government should take into account all the patterns of educational institutions and incorporate the best practices for the development of a better education management system.
In terms of curriculum and medium of teaching, there are mainly Bangla, English, and Arabic educational institutions, with wide differences in the contents. This is creating divisiveness, 'developing' human resources without mental relations with the nation and state. If the education system is to develop the national human resource, a single education system in terms of curricula must be developed, so that there are enough like-minded people to contribute to the nation building process.
Now the question is: quality assurance. Quality is essential to cope with the global competition. Bangladesh also exists in an inter-related and inter-dependent world order. If a single management system that is compatible with global standard could be developed and a single curriculum could be introduced, which could help people to be wise, skill, humane and responsible, then the Bangladeshi population will become assets.
A practical philosophy of education is the most important thing. In Bangladesh, as per the Constitution education is one of the fundamental rights of citizens and the state is responsible for it.