Expanding the base for technical education
Wednesday, 1 April 2009
Md. Ashraf Hossain
In the era of science and technology economic development of any country largely depends on innovation and application technology. Without modern technology, no nation can think of development.
Bangladesh lags behind many other developing countries in the use of technology. We could not develop enough technical manpower. After 37 years of independence, Bangladesh continues to neglect technical education. The government budget each year makes the highest allocation to general and religious education. Science and technology-based education gets insignificant allocation.
Most of the youth with general or religious education remain unemployed or underemployed. It reduces their status in the family and the society. They do not get jobs in the country or abroad. They become burdens on their families and the society.
It is time to bring a change. At under-graduate level in every upazila at least one polytechnique institute should be set up and run by the government. The government needs to take a crush programme in this area as the private sector is unlikely to come forward in setting up such institutes. The government should provide the needed laboratories, equipment and tools to the institutes. Polytechnique education can create valuable manpower for the country. Many of them will get better paid employment at home and abroad. The foreign currency to be earned particularly by those going abroad with jobs can benefit the economy. Polytechnique institutes can turn the population into manpower. Many among such educate and trained manpower can go for self employment and also generate employment for others.
The government should stop further expansion of general and religious education at secondary and others levels for next five years. Thereafter a new decision could be taken depending on requirements.
The government should set up and run one polytechnique in each upazila on an urgent basis to develop technically trained workforce for industrial development of the country.
In the era of science and technology economic development of any country largely depends on innovation and application technology. Without modern technology, no nation can think of development.
Bangladesh lags behind many other developing countries in the use of technology. We could not develop enough technical manpower. After 37 years of independence, Bangladesh continues to neglect technical education. The government budget each year makes the highest allocation to general and religious education. Science and technology-based education gets insignificant allocation.
Most of the youth with general or religious education remain unemployed or underemployed. It reduces their status in the family and the society. They do not get jobs in the country or abroad. They become burdens on their families and the society.
It is time to bring a change. At under-graduate level in every upazila at least one polytechnique institute should be set up and run by the government. The government needs to take a crush programme in this area as the private sector is unlikely to come forward in setting up such institutes. The government should provide the needed laboratories, equipment and tools to the institutes. Polytechnique education can create valuable manpower for the country. Many of them will get better paid employment at home and abroad. The foreign currency to be earned particularly by those going abroad with jobs can benefit the economy. Polytechnique institutes can turn the population into manpower. Many among such educate and trained manpower can go for self employment and also generate employment for others.
The government should stop further expansion of general and religious education at secondary and others levels for next five years. Thereafter a new decision could be taken depending on requirements.
The government should set up and run one polytechnique in each upazila on an urgent basis to develop technically trained workforce for industrial development of the country.