Education policy

The government is reportedly actively engaged in forming a new education policy for the country. The thrust of it would be drawing up a policy that would reflect the needs of the time. So far it could be known the planners are for bridging the difference between the mainly three divergent forms of education -- the Bengali, English and Madrasha systems of education -- to form an uniform policy for students from the primary level.
Undoubtedly, this would be consistent with what sincere and competent thinkers about the troubles in the country's education system have been suggesting for a long time. The three different prevailing streams of education have their individual deficiencies and help in the creation of a student population with divergent outlook and value systems which are not necessarily good for furthering well deserved national objectives with a shared outlook. The English medium breeds an elitist and foreign oriented mentality whereas the Bengali medium is often seen as parochial and outdated. The madrasha system is considered as not educating the pupils enough to be ultimately regarded as human resources in the twenty-first century, Besides, the three systems also breed sharply conflicting ideologies opposed to national integration and harmony. Thus, the approach in the new education policy in the offing to bring the three systems under some kind of unification.
But it needs to be also realised that any move to superimpose a new framework may generate more opposition and misunderstandings than a voluntary mood to embrace the changes. Each system of education has its tradition and sentiments. The doing away of the same in a swift and surgical manner can breed more troubles and resentment than achieving any quick progress in the realm of education. Besides, any move to eliminate a part of the present education system with the so-called secularist principles, will also likely invite huge non cooperation and violence. Therefore, the sensible approach would be first to hold consultations with dependable representatives and stakeholders of all three systems and find out the common grounds.
The individual systems may be retained but steps can be taken to remove the deficiencies in each of them and to achieve some similarities also between them. Thus, the madrasha system can be reformed to include subjects in sciences and the vocations to bring this mode of education at par with the two other systems. The English and Bengali mediums can be likewise reformed to introduce curricula in them that would make them truly oriented to Bangladesh and its needs. Moral and religious studies may also be included in these two systems that would cater to the long neglected need to inculcate the student population with morality.
Apart from this need of integration of the three different systems, the greatest emphasis must be put on making well skilled manpower out of young Bangladeshis. The education system as a whole must embrace sea changes in courses, curricula, teachers' training and related aspects to provide mainly need-based education. The traditional concepts afflicting the spheres of educations that produce largely literates and generalists only to add to the vast pool of so-called educated ones for whom nobody has any use in a dynamic or emerging economy, must be put to an end through the new policy. The policy's supreme objective ought to be a complete overhaul of the education systems of the country at different levels. This should aim at creating capacities for imparting education of the sort that would mainly lead to creation of adequate manpower both in terms of number and quality for the economy's growth and development and to supply the overseas job markets. All other factors should be subordinated to this goal.