Phasing out the outmoded education system
Friday, 23 November 2007
Syed Mozzamel Haque
A shining example of the modernisation of education is India. India has built up a very good base in science and technology education and many of its institutions dealing with science and technology education are in the public sector. India's educational system is now producing in abundance world class information technology (IT) experts in different fields, engineers, biotechnologists, agricultural scientists, pharmacists, etc. The educational base of India is so strong that it could establish itself as a global information technology (IT) power that remarkably boosted its foreign exchange earnings from this source alone within a short time.
The Indian educational system may not be a complete role model for Bangladesh. There are better educational systems in the world - the Japanese, the Korean and others. But the point is even by emulating these foreign educational systems, Bangladesh can break out of its present stagnancy in education.
Whether outdated education system is being given preference here is a serious question in the context of Bangladesh. Clearly, the country requires useful manpower to feed the growingly diverse needs of its economy. Therefore, one is dismayed to read reports that religious institutions are growing in number and official allocations for them are also increasing while the same is relatively lower for educational institutions that have a direct relationship to creating human resources.
Investors in education--meaning both the government and the private sector -- ought to also rethink investments in traditional or general education. It is highly preferable that they look to other areas where profitability would be more or less assured and where new educational capacities would create human resources with entrepreneurial capacity. For instances, fashion institutes are needed to bolster the country's export oriented ready-made-garments (RMG) sector. A few of them have been set up but more are needed. Institutions to impart education and training on leather technology are in very short supply. But these institutions can help produce skilled manpower for rapid expansion of the leather industries sector having greater export potential. Specialised educational organisations to teach agriculture science that can create manpower in support of the growing export oriented agro industries could be another worthwhile field of investment. The private sector can similarly invest in polytechnics, engineering universities and colleges with assured rates of return on their investments. There is a big demand for engineering and vocational education. Investments made in this area will not only meet demand but help in the creation of a growing technologically able workforce. There should be more investments in information technology (IT) education centres considering its huge potential.
However, in all of these areas and more, the investors must be guided by the principle of providing quality education. Bangladeshi students presently go abroad in large number in quest of quality education. If they have access to similar education at home, then their fascination for foreign destinations would decline. In that case, the country would be saving its resources in a big way.
Government's regulations usually create more impediments to investments than encouraging the same. But the ground for effective regulation of privately run education institutions with low educational standards has arisen to ensure quality education. This regulation, at present, is very weak. There is, thus, an urgent need to strengthen regulatory activities in this sphere. But the same must be guided prudentially in order to prevent dislocation. The best strategy should be to create enough pressure on the errant educational institutions to undertake activities on a time-bound basis to make up for their deficiencies.
A rather skewed system of education at primary and secondary levels is noted in the country that impact differently on the pupils and create varying degrees of competence. The three prevailing streams of education at these levels include generally the Bengali medium schools, the English medium schools and the madrashas. Most of the Bengali medium schools are considered as not well run by many guardians who are too keen to provide the best or high quality education to their children. This leads to the scramble among them to put their children in English medium schools. But most of these schools are also not up to the mark. But this truth is not realised by far too many guardians. Then, there is the madrasha education. This system of education puts emphasis on religious studies to the relative exclusion of the physical sciences and other subjects that help in the creation of human resources. Besides, the quality of teaching at the madrasha level is also considered as rather poor. Furthermore, the three systems of education also tend to create students of different capabilities and conflicting outlook.
Thus, it is necessary to bring about a synthesis in the three separate systems of education as well as to improve the quality of education in each system. Any reformative actions in the sphere of education ought to address this need of synthesis and quality at the primary and secondary levels of education. More than harmony, the greatest benefit can possibly come from unifying or integrating the three separate systems into one and bringing all the student population under it.
The present interim government has addressed many issues of vital importance for the nation. Therefore, it is only expected that it would also start reforms in the area of education and this would be a truly commendable contribution made towards the longer term development and well-being of the country.
A shining example of the modernisation of education is India. India has built up a very good base in science and technology education and many of its institutions dealing with science and technology education are in the public sector. India's educational system is now producing in abundance world class information technology (IT) experts in different fields, engineers, biotechnologists, agricultural scientists, pharmacists, etc. The educational base of India is so strong that it could establish itself as a global information technology (IT) power that remarkably boosted its foreign exchange earnings from this source alone within a short time.
The Indian educational system may not be a complete role model for Bangladesh. There are better educational systems in the world - the Japanese, the Korean and others. But the point is even by emulating these foreign educational systems, Bangladesh can break out of its present stagnancy in education.
Whether outdated education system is being given preference here is a serious question in the context of Bangladesh. Clearly, the country requires useful manpower to feed the growingly diverse needs of its economy. Therefore, one is dismayed to read reports that religious institutions are growing in number and official allocations for them are also increasing while the same is relatively lower for educational institutions that have a direct relationship to creating human resources.
Investors in education--meaning both the government and the private sector -- ought to also rethink investments in traditional or general education. It is highly preferable that they look to other areas where profitability would be more or less assured and where new educational capacities would create human resources with entrepreneurial capacity. For instances, fashion institutes are needed to bolster the country's export oriented ready-made-garments (RMG) sector. A few of them have been set up but more are needed. Institutions to impart education and training on leather technology are in very short supply. But these institutions can help produce skilled manpower for rapid expansion of the leather industries sector having greater export potential. Specialised educational organisations to teach agriculture science that can create manpower in support of the growing export oriented agro industries could be another worthwhile field of investment. The private sector can similarly invest in polytechnics, engineering universities and colleges with assured rates of return on their investments. There is a big demand for engineering and vocational education. Investments made in this area will not only meet demand but help in the creation of a growing technologically able workforce. There should be more investments in information technology (IT) education centres considering its huge potential.
However, in all of these areas and more, the investors must be guided by the principle of providing quality education. Bangladeshi students presently go abroad in large number in quest of quality education. If they have access to similar education at home, then their fascination for foreign destinations would decline. In that case, the country would be saving its resources in a big way.
Government's regulations usually create more impediments to investments than encouraging the same. But the ground for effective regulation of privately run education institutions with low educational standards has arisen to ensure quality education. This regulation, at present, is very weak. There is, thus, an urgent need to strengthen regulatory activities in this sphere. But the same must be guided prudentially in order to prevent dislocation. The best strategy should be to create enough pressure on the errant educational institutions to undertake activities on a time-bound basis to make up for their deficiencies.
A rather skewed system of education at primary and secondary levels is noted in the country that impact differently on the pupils and create varying degrees of competence. The three prevailing streams of education at these levels include generally the Bengali medium schools, the English medium schools and the madrashas. Most of the Bengali medium schools are considered as not well run by many guardians who are too keen to provide the best or high quality education to their children. This leads to the scramble among them to put their children in English medium schools. But most of these schools are also not up to the mark. But this truth is not realised by far too many guardians. Then, there is the madrasha education. This system of education puts emphasis on religious studies to the relative exclusion of the physical sciences and other subjects that help in the creation of human resources. Besides, the quality of teaching at the madrasha level is also considered as rather poor. Furthermore, the three systems of education also tend to create students of different capabilities and conflicting outlook.
Thus, it is necessary to bring about a synthesis in the three separate systems of education as well as to improve the quality of education in each system. Any reformative actions in the sphere of education ought to address this need of synthesis and quality at the primary and secondary levels of education. More than harmony, the greatest benefit can possibly come from unifying or integrating the three separate systems into one and bringing all the student population under it.
The present interim government has addressed many issues of vital importance for the nation. Therefore, it is only expected that it would also start reforms in the area of education and this would be a truly commendable contribution made towards the longer term development and well-being of the country.