Education policy: a critical review
Saturday, 19 September 2009
Masum Billah
JUST after the assumption of power the present government formed a commission to direct our education policy towards an effective, scientific and modern one keeping pace with the Quadrat-e-Khuda Education Commission which was formed in 1974. It followed several other commissions but no commission saw the light of the day. But as a nation we need a permanent education commission as education is the guiding force and most constructive and valuable investment. The government constituted 18-member committee headed by Prof. Kabir Chowdhury on April 8 to formulate a modern national education policy in line with 1974 Qudrat-e-Khuda Education Commission.
Some salient features of the commission deserve appreciation where some need more discussion and food for thought. More importantly, the commission has submitted the draft report and recommended many important points. But their implementation rests on the genuine will, ability of the government and national consensus. The opposition has been away from the National Assembly. Their consent and constructive criticism in the assembly is a must before going for its final implementation. It is good that the draft has been shown on the website so that educationists, guardians, students and all stakeholders of education can go through it. Free, universal and compulsory primary education up to class eight, inclusion of information technology and science in the curriculum, mandatory vocational education and scholarships to all students from class six to eight on the basis of exam, uniform syllabus in secondary education (nine to twelve). Three-year degree course will be replaced by four year honours course, establishing technical institutions in every upzila, modernaistiaon of madrasa education, through inclusion of information technology and arrangement of text books and teachers for the indigenous children to enable them to learn in their own language are the brighter sides of the recommendation. The final draft of education policy Policy-2009 will ensure rights to primary education for the street children as per its commitment for taking appropriate measures in this regard. The policy suggested provisions of free-enrolment, free distribution of education materials, midday school meal and stipend under special arrangement for brining street children to schools and continuation of their studies.
The committee suggested extension of primary education up to class eight and secondary up to class twelve. The primary education will be free, universal and compulsory and the mandatory inclusion of six compulsory subjects under all streams of education namely general, madrasa and technical. All the students must study their own religion and receive moral education. Secondary education will be from class nine to twelve. Science and information technology will be introduced in madarsa education to make it more modern and life-oriented. In respect of higher education, Decentralization of National University by setting up centres in all divisions. It recommended permanent education commission. Full- fledged implementation would start from January. Class five students will have to sit for public examination to mark the primary education as a uniform standard and teachers will be made answerable. There will be no annual and scholarship exams in class five.
Eight-year primary education to extend the equal education facility to the largest population is undoubtedly a noble and great endeavor which educationist Dr. Khuda had understood. And the present education commission has recommended keeping in line with it. But I think the present infra-structure of our existing primary schools will not be able to hold another three classrooms. Yes, it can be possible and done in phases or after several years. If the Khuda Commission of 1974 would have been implemented at least partially, by this time we could have made our primary education up to class eight. As we are going to start from the beginning, it may not be practical to extend primary education up to class eight. Qudrat-e- Khuda Commission Report (1974) recommended extension of universal schooling up to 8th grade in line with UNNESCO requirement of 14 years universal school. It is indeed regrettable that even after elapse of 35 years ( 1974-2009) we have not been able to even implement partially the recommendation. After thirty-five we cannot suddenly jump to raise our primary education up to class eight. Integration of existing level of primary education with next three classes with the old secondary level and severe dearth of competent teachers for operation of new education policy in rural areas and madrasa pose another greater challenges towards its implementation. It would be practical to extend primary education up to class 6. The existing primary schools can accommodate one more room. Government and community also can make one more room but to make three rooms seem to be very difficult
Abdus Sattar Molla, educationist and researcher of education collects a data about the status of primary education of different countries which says " Of the 182 countries studied, the highest number (87) has PE up to 6th grade. In 28 mostly European countries PE education is of 8 years, 5 years in 19 countries, 9 years in 16, 7 years in 15, 4 years in 11 and 10 years in 3 countries." Moreover, In all the developed countries of Asia such as Japan, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Israel have PE education up to sixth grade. So, we can reach the conclusion that we can extend our primary education up to sixth grade which will be more reasonable and affordable.
In all the secondary educational institutions the number of students has increased several times but the number of teachers has not which has created an unreasonable teacher student ratio. There is hardly any subject based teacher even to teach the harder subjects. It seems the 80% schools of rural areas cannot materialize the positive aspects of the present education commission. The MPO rule, quota system, negligence of management committees, ignorance and some other irregularities are standing in the way of filing up the vacant posts of different important subject teachers. If a teacher who enjoyed MPO goes on retirement or dies, his MPO orders also goes with him. No new teacher can be employed against that MPO. As a result, the post remains vacant. To fill up women quota, no qualified woman is available some areas keeping the post vacant year after year. These existing practical phenomena contribute a great deal to accumulating the heaps of problems in the non-government secondary schools in spite of the fact that the government gives cent percent of their salaries to MPO enlisted schools. Necessarily, the situation is supposed to be much better but these unresolved issues standing year after year have seriously hampered imparting quality education.
The commission must have given the clear guideline to ameliorate the pains of the guardians of urban students who have to spend the lion's share of their family income to educate their wards. Not only that , guardians are to spend a considerable time of the day to visit tutor's houses to have mandatory private coaching imposed by the teacher concerned and the unhealthy and abnormal situation of the education system. A huge amount of national time is lost for it, a continuous concern and tension causes psychological pressure both to the guardians and students creating a clear class division in the society. Those who have money can have better education and the rest will have no education. In the same class, the affluent and middle income family students will have private coaching but others cannot afford to do it. It encourages adopting unfair means among the guardians. Educational institutions must be made the centres of educational and cultural activities. Commercials centres in the name of selling education must be banished in the greater interest of the nation. As the Education Commission has been entrusted with this solemn and gigantic responsibility of the nation, they cannot afford to avoid these ills of the educational arena of the country.
Another thing lies neglected. The scarcity of better schools in the urban and metropolitan areas in the government level has included some acute problems. Some schools have been established in the private sector where all the students rush for getting admission. But the very small number of seats of these institutions cannot accommodate the huge number of students. The question of adopting unfair means arises from this point. The total schooling going population must be counted and then to be determined whether they have enough seats in the existing institutions. If it is not done, the mushroom growth of low quality schools and commercialization of education will get further momentum.
The writer is Senior Manager: BRAC Education Programme, PACE. He can be reached at
e-mail: mmbillah2000@yahoo.com
JUST after the assumption of power the present government formed a commission to direct our education policy towards an effective, scientific and modern one keeping pace with the Quadrat-e-Khuda Education Commission which was formed in 1974. It followed several other commissions but no commission saw the light of the day. But as a nation we need a permanent education commission as education is the guiding force and most constructive and valuable investment. The government constituted 18-member committee headed by Prof. Kabir Chowdhury on April 8 to formulate a modern national education policy in line with 1974 Qudrat-e-Khuda Education Commission.
Some salient features of the commission deserve appreciation where some need more discussion and food for thought. More importantly, the commission has submitted the draft report and recommended many important points. But their implementation rests on the genuine will, ability of the government and national consensus. The opposition has been away from the National Assembly. Their consent and constructive criticism in the assembly is a must before going for its final implementation. It is good that the draft has been shown on the website so that educationists, guardians, students and all stakeholders of education can go through it. Free, universal and compulsory primary education up to class eight, inclusion of information technology and science in the curriculum, mandatory vocational education and scholarships to all students from class six to eight on the basis of exam, uniform syllabus in secondary education (nine to twelve). Three-year degree course will be replaced by four year honours course, establishing technical institutions in every upzila, modernaistiaon of madrasa education, through inclusion of information technology and arrangement of text books and teachers for the indigenous children to enable them to learn in their own language are the brighter sides of the recommendation. The final draft of education policy Policy-2009 will ensure rights to primary education for the street children as per its commitment for taking appropriate measures in this regard. The policy suggested provisions of free-enrolment, free distribution of education materials, midday school meal and stipend under special arrangement for brining street children to schools and continuation of their studies.
The committee suggested extension of primary education up to class eight and secondary up to class twelve. The primary education will be free, universal and compulsory and the mandatory inclusion of six compulsory subjects under all streams of education namely general, madrasa and technical. All the students must study their own religion and receive moral education. Secondary education will be from class nine to twelve. Science and information technology will be introduced in madarsa education to make it more modern and life-oriented. In respect of higher education, Decentralization of National University by setting up centres in all divisions. It recommended permanent education commission. Full- fledged implementation would start from January. Class five students will have to sit for public examination to mark the primary education as a uniform standard and teachers will be made answerable. There will be no annual and scholarship exams in class five.
Eight-year primary education to extend the equal education facility to the largest population is undoubtedly a noble and great endeavor which educationist Dr. Khuda had understood. And the present education commission has recommended keeping in line with it. But I think the present infra-structure of our existing primary schools will not be able to hold another three classrooms. Yes, it can be possible and done in phases or after several years. If the Khuda Commission of 1974 would have been implemented at least partially, by this time we could have made our primary education up to class eight. As we are going to start from the beginning, it may not be practical to extend primary education up to class eight. Qudrat-e- Khuda Commission Report (1974) recommended extension of universal schooling up to 8th grade in line with UNNESCO requirement of 14 years universal school. It is indeed regrettable that even after elapse of 35 years ( 1974-2009) we have not been able to even implement partially the recommendation. After thirty-five we cannot suddenly jump to raise our primary education up to class eight. Integration of existing level of primary education with next three classes with the old secondary level and severe dearth of competent teachers for operation of new education policy in rural areas and madrasa pose another greater challenges towards its implementation. It would be practical to extend primary education up to class 6. The existing primary schools can accommodate one more room. Government and community also can make one more room but to make three rooms seem to be very difficult
Abdus Sattar Molla, educationist and researcher of education collects a data about the status of primary education of different countries which says " Of the 182 countries studied, the highest number (87) has PE up to 6th grade. In 28 mostly European countries PE education is of 8 years, 5 years in 19 countries, 9 years in 16, 7 years in 15, 4 years in 11 and 10 years in 3 countries." Moreover, In all the developed countries of Asia such as Japan, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Israel have PE education up to sixth grade. So, we can reach the conclusion that we can extend our primary education up to sixth grade which will be more reasonable and affordable.
In all the secondary educational institutions the number of students has increased several times but the number of teachers has not which has created an unreasonable teacher student ratio. There is hardly any subject based teacher even to teach the harder subjects. It seems the 80% schools of rural areas cannot materialize the positive aspects of the present education commission. The MPO rule, quota system, negligence of management committees, ignorance and some other irregularities are standing in the way of filing up the vacant posts of different important subject teachers. If a teacher who enjoyed MPO goes on retirement or dies, his MPO orders also goes with him. No new teacher can be employed against that MPO. As a result, the post remains vacant. To fill up women quota, no qualified woman is available some areas keeping the post vacant year after year. These existing practical phenomena contribute a great deal to accumulating the heaps of problems in the non-government secondary schools in spite of the fact that the government gives cent percent of their salaries to MPO enlisted schools. Necessarily, the situation is supposed to be much better but these unresolved issues standing year after year have seriously hampered imparting quality education.
The commission must have given the clear guideline to ameliorate the pains of the guardians of urban students who have to spend the lion's share of their family income to educate their wards. Not only that , guardians are to spend a considerable time of the day to visit tutor's houses to have mandatory private coaching imposed by the teacher concerned and the unhealthy and abnormal situation of the education system. A huge amount of national time is lost for it, a continuous concern and tension causes psychological pressure both to the guardians and students creating a clear class division in the society. Those who have money can have better education and the rest will have no education. In the same class, the affluent and middle income family students will have private coaching but others cannot afford to do it. It encourages adopting unfair means among the guardians. Educational institutions must be made the centres of educational and cultural activities. Commercials centres in the name of selling education must be banished in the greater interest of the nation. As the Education Commission has been entrusted with this solemn and gigantic responsibility of the nation, they cannot afford to avoid these ills of the educational arena of the country.
Another thing lies neglected. The scarcity of better schools in the urban and metropolitan areas in the government level has included some acute problems. Some schools have been established in the private sector where all the students rush for getting admission. But the very small number of seats of these institutions cannot accommodate the huge number of students. The question of adopting unfair means arises from this point. The total schooling going population must be counted and then to be determined whether they have enough seats in the existing institutions. If it is not done, the mushroom growth of low quality schools and commercialization of education will get further momentum.
The writer is Senior Manager: BRAC Education Programme, PACE. He can be reached at
e-mail: mmbillah2000@yahoo.com