Rayhan Ahmed Topader :
The development of a modern society depends to a large extent on the nature and standard of higher education. Higher education has enormous potential to promote prosperity in the developing nations. Throughout the World, universities change the society and remain the center of change and development. In the context of Bangladesh various Education Commissions that were set up so far theoretically emphasized on unlocking potential at all levels of society and creating a pool of highly trained individuals to contribute to the national development. But in practice these universities are very weak and do not change anything. Better understanding among teachers and students, introduction of modern teaching methods and dedication of teachers and students can improve the culture of higher education in Bangladesh. A proper academic calendar can bring discipline. Initiate to free the universities from the clutches of politics can play a lot of the overall improvement of the universities. According to a researcher, Pedagogy is the process of accompanying learners; caring for and about them; and bringing learning into life. The focus has thus shifted sharply from teacher to learner. Yet, our educational institutions continue to remain embedded in the past no innovation, no change, no desire to be future-ready; and the incapacitated students they continue to produce will someday run the affairs of the nation.
It must be understood that what and how we teach our children will have far-reaching and future effects on almost every aspect of society. At a time when the learner-centric rhetoric is rife with terminology such as critical thinking, flipped classrooms, group discussions, problem-solving, simulations, role playing, case analyses, research, and much more, I ask whether these tools can be used in the type of classroom depicted in the picture. Unfortunately, this situation prevails across the nation classroom after classroom with rows of benches, tight spaces, and little room for meaningful student interaction.
Can any learning really occur in this environment? To fix education, at all levels, several matters require immediate attention: recruitment, training, incentives, funding, accountability, and autonomy of those who run the ship. There is simply no room for politics or intervention here. The supply chain (primary, secondary, and higher secondary education) in particular deserves serious scrutiny if higher education is to serve its purpose. Steeped in rote memorisation and dulled capacity to think imaginatively, students from the lower tiers are just not prepared to meet the challenges at higher levels. Decidedly, a serious mismatch exists between what higher education ought to be and the facts on the ground. There was a newspaper report about the acute teacher shortage at a medical college in the southern part of Bangladesh. It is instructive to take a close look at the accompanying picture of the report.
There is a teacher standing on a raised dais; in front of him are rows of benches with 6-8 students occupying one bench. Then there is only one aisle, if the teacher ever ventures down from the dais to interact with the students. If the classroom was full, there would likely be 250 students packing the class. In that event, whether students sitting in the back rows would hear the teacher speak, unless he is using a microphone, is a moot question. Whatever muddled message they would pick up on their brain receptors would certainly not translate to much learning from the day’s attendance, if at all. Why do I bring this up? Even if there was no acute shortage of teachers, they would still be teaching in that same classroom layout. And what would they be doing? Lecturing, and why is that a problem? Because today’s pedagogy (more correctly, andragogy) stresses learner-centric education, not the age-old teacher-centric approach that ignores student engagement and active learning while continuing to promote rote learning and regurgitation, a phenomenon that is remotely linked to learning. How are we dealing with these issues at the policy level? The Strategic Plan for Higher Education in Bangladesh: 2018-2030 envisages the traits that graduates will display it goes on to say, Our vision is to see our higher education graduates as critical, conceptual and reflective thinkers ‘possessing advanced technical competence possessing effective communication.
Also management and problem-solving skills; committed to the pursuit of excellence and are driven by the desire for lifelong learning. This is good, but visions are stratospheric; the reality is far different as the picture portrays.
Surely, changing the classroom layout and environment will not be enough. We also need other fundamental changes, especially in our teachers and teaching. Despite having a segment of great teachers, it is not an exaggeration that many others do not take classes regularly, the classes are not interactive, the traditional lecture method remains firmly ensconced, some teachers do not have a clear idea of either content or materials, course syllabi are horribly out-of-date, learning assessments are questionable, the exams require rote memorisation of mundane/trivial facts and much more. These are fundamental flaws, as is the classroom layout situation that fails to shape hearts and minds.
An even more fundamental problem is that the most vital sector education for an aspiring nation like Bangladesh, climbing the economic ladder, attracts many who never aspired to be teachers; they are there either because they couldn’t find more suitable employment or they were looking for something part-time. Is this what our future nation-builders deserve? We also need to assess how the nation’s teachers stack up against those who go to other cadres or professions the pay, the benefits, the facilities, the opportunity for training, the incentives to interact globally, etc.
Why would the best and brightest choose teaching as a profession unless they are crazy, deeply passionate, or plain inept? Universities can and must serve as changemakers of changemakers. The desire and will to bring this about must cascade down to the interface where the rubber hits the road. That means the institutions of higher education must shed their benign, indifferent and laid-back attitude. They must also stop thinking of themselves as mere cash cows or avenues for employment. Rather they must take forward the task of imparting education that nurtures the thinkers, the writers, the managers, the inventors, and the problem-solvers. Nations thrive and forge ahead when their educational institutions take on the mantle of changemakers and cultivate the art and science of learning in their bid to prepare future generations. Research suggests that, Young people don’t want to be passive learners: They are content producers, not just consumers. They communicate in different ways than older generations, in shorter bursts, and they are used to being a part of large networks that allow for instant feedback on their thoughts and ideas. Today’s learners dwell in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Instead of helping this new breed soar, the classrooms of the 21st century in this country are virtually clipping their wings. More importantly, in the digital era, why are our students stuck to benches?
Most of our universities are absolutely inward-looking, having little or no interaction with the global community. Every university should have an international office, and promote their activities and academic achievements with international academia. UGC has already provided public universities with internet facilities and modern virtual classrooms that are connected via the Bangladesh Research and Education Network, whereby they can establish visual interactive contact amongst themselves and connect with any university or research organisation from around the world.
Through the university digital library facility (UDL) installed at UGC, all universities, both public and private, now have access to more than 7,000 academic journals and reference books from internationally reputed publishers. The facility is available to both students and faculty members. Regular updating of the curriculum has to be given the topmost priority, and wherever needed, there should be continual interaction between and amongst local and international researchers and the industry.
One good way of doing this is to regularly organise national and international seminars besides motivating faculty members to attend similar events outside the country. In Bangladesh, the craze for a university degree can be self-defeating. When a Sanskrit or Arabic graduate looks for a job in a bank or the government, the big question is what good is the degree for jobs in these sectors?
When we say we want to see Bangladesh become a middle income country by 2021, such mismatch has to change.
The entire tertiary education system of the country must be viewed holistically. Piecemeal solutions will not take us far. Given the right experience, knowledge, skills, and education, these young people can become an invaluable source of wealth for the nation, and through them, the much talked about Vision 2021 and Sustainable Development Goals can be achieved.
