Dr Md Mahmudul Hassan:
Bangladesh is a developing country with a rigorous progress in education system. After its independence, Bangladesh adopted integrated changes in education system, curriculum as well as teaching and learning pattern. As per Education Policy-2010, the Ministry of Education emphasizes on ensuring quality education and accordingly many changes have been introduced in our education system.
English medium education has a great influence over entire education in Bangladesh. From middle class to higher class, nowadays many families are more enthusiastic to teach their children in English medium. Because they think that English medium education can ensure quality education for their children. Besides, the British rule is still very influential and noteworthy in the Indian subcontinent. English is used as the second official language of Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Srilanka, Bhutan, Nepal next to the own respective mother tongues independently. Students in Bangladesh are also learning in English medium schools where courses are taught in English following the textbooks written by the foreign scholars as per educational system of UK and USA. These are commonly different with the deviation of the Bengali courses and the Religious course which are offered in Bengali and Arabic as primary knowledge for the students in the primary as well as in the secondary levels giving importance and priority on development of a citizen.
However, English medium schools are in fact privately owned and thus reserved for the wealthy class or the upper middle class families. Since English is the only language of international communication, people of our country who possess financial capacity, teach their children in English medium and give priority and importance to English medium curriculum.
Bangladesh has three main educational systems; General Education, Madrasah Education and Vocational Education systems. The general system sees students for five years at the primary level and seven years at the secondary level. After the first three years of secondary school, students are grouped according to their choice of learning science, business studies and humanities. The Madrasah education system allows students to receive an Islamic religious education right alongside their regular studies. The vocational system starts at the secondary level, allowing students to choose a trade after the first three years. Students can receive their lessons in either Bangla or English classes, though many private schools often tend toward English.
In general education system, the medium of teaching is both Bangla and English. The English medium is run in two curriculums in our country; English Medium National Curriculum which follows the books of National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) and English Medium International Curriculum which follows the books published by mostly foreign authors. My writing here aims at narrating English Medium International Curriculum, which is totally managed and controlled by different examination boards monitored by UK and USA locally administered by British Council in Bangladesh.
There are four curriculums in English Medium education system as Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE), Pearson Edexcel, Oxford International AQA and International Baccalaureate (IB). Among these four, the first two are more famous and recognized in Bangladesh.
The University of Cambridge formed the ‘Local Examinations Syndicate’, now known as Cambridge Assessment, over 150 years ago. It got the brand name ‘Cambridge Assessment’ in 2005. Cambridge Assessment operates the University’s three exam boards and carries out leading-edge and operational research in assessment in education. It is a not-for-profit organisation.
There are five basic elements in CAIE curriculum as; International Curriculum, Teaching and Learning, Assessment, International Recognition and Global Community. CAIE is directed by a number of Cambridge representatives in 9 locations around the world in 160 countries as; North America, Latin America, Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East & North Africa, South Asia, Pakistan, East Asia and Southeast Asia & Pacific.
On the other hand, Pearson Edexcel is also a world renowned examination board which is established later than CAIE. Pearson Edexcel, the only privately owned examination board in UK, and part of Pearsonplc, is a portmanteau term combining the words Education & Excellence (Ed+Excel= Edexcel). It regulates school examinations under the British Curriculum and offers qualifications for schools on the international and regional scale. It is the UK’s largest awarding organization offering academic and vocational qualifications in schools, colleges and work places in the UK and abroad.
Edexcel also offers International Advanced Levels shortly known as IAL. It is offered only to schools outside the UK. The British curriculum offered by the Edexcel International board is among the most taught at International Schools along with the curricula offered by Cambridge International Examinations and the most dominant educational exam board in the international school sector, the International Baccalaureate Organization.
CAIE and Edexcel are both exam boards which offer International GCSEs (IGCSEs), amongst other qualifications. There is no basic difference between these two boards. They are both respected bodies in the UK and their qualifications have equal value. Whatever differences we find are in case of their curriculum and teaching-learning patterns.
On the above, we can assert that there’s no basic difference between these two education systems, students may show their interest in either of the systems. Both Cambridge and Edexcel are the best awarding bodies for different qualifications directed by locally British Council Bangladesh, which is monitored and governed by the UK based two large authorities of CAIE and Pearson Edexcel. The people who possess affluence feel interested to put their children in English medium for ensuring world standard education and try to achieve world ranked qualifications under British Council which is directly governed by the UK.
(Dr Md Mahmudul Hassan, Principal, Daffodil International School, Writer and Education Researcher)
