Hollow claims about education
Sunday, 24 June 2007
SUCCESSIVE governments in Bangladesh claimed that they followed a path of using education as the means to attaining economic progress. But the claims have proved to be not tenable in the backdrop of the prevailing education systems in the country which are far from making the best use of resources being poured into the sector.
A complete overhaul of the education system is very necessary. The present system produces mainly literates or generalists. They are of no use for the country's developmental or economic needs. The thrust right from the primary to secondary and higher secondary stages should be on need-based education. Agricultural, vocational, scientific, technical and managerial education should form important components of syllabuses progressively throughout these stages. Sea changes will have to be achieved to these ends in the field of teachers' training, recasting of syllabuses and other related matters.
Substantial investments are required to build specialised educational or training institutions to create diverse human resources in fields such as leather technology, fashion designing, marine technology, agro-products processing, information technology, seafood processing, modern farming, etc. Investments in these specialised and sector based educational institutions can have the most effect in taking care of the supply sides requirements to expedite economic growth.
Greater public sector investments in technical and higher education is also necessary because the majority among the student population are in no position to afford such education at home or abroad.
Ziaur Rahman
DOHS, Dhaka
A complete overhaul of the education system is very necessary. The present system produces mainly literates or generalists. They are of no use for the country's developmental or economic needs. The thrust right from the primary to secondary and higher secondary stages should be on need-based education. Agricultural, vocational, scientific, technical and managerial education should form important components of syllabuses progressively throughout these stages. Sea changes will have to be achieved to these ends in the field of teachers' training, recasting of syllabuses and other related matters.
Substantial investments are required to build specialised educational or training institutions to create diverse human resources in fields such as leather technology, fashion designing, marine technology, agro-products processing, information technology, seafood processing, modern farming, etc. Investments in these specialised and sector based educational institutions can have the most effect in taking care of the supply sides requirements to expedite economic growth.
Greater public sector investments in technical and higher education is also necessary because the majority among the student population are in no position to afford such education at home or abroad.
Ziaur Rahman
DOHS, Dhaka