Anisul Islam Noor :
The importance of technical education is immense in a country’s economic development. For this, a change in the mindset for increasing skilled manpower in the country is necessary to build Bangladesh as one of the middle income countries, said AKMA Hamid, President of the Central Executive Committee of the Institute of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh (IDEB).
Talking with The New Nation, IDEB President said, we need to create more skilled and technical manpower if we want to improve our per capita income and if we want to achieve the target of becoming middle income country by 2021. He said, sadly Bangladesh stands 6th in seven South Asian countries in this respect.
Giving example, he said, about six lakh Indian citizens, who are technically skilled, work in Bangladesh’s different sectors and are paid higher salaries. The situation will be worse if immediate initiative is not taken to expand technical education across the country, he said.
More than 12 crore people, that means 71 percent of total population will be working manpower in Bangladesh by 2030 according to a report published in World Human Capital 2015. But till now,
importance has not been attached to technical education here. In the national budget, education sector does not get priority. In 2012 national budget, 2.3 percent of the development budget was allocated for education sector and 0.032 per cent thereof was allocated for technical education. It was lowest in the Asia Pacific region countries. In contrast, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman allocated 7.09 percent of the development budget in the education sector.
The same year, India allocated 3.2 percent of the national budget in the education sector, Pakistan 2.9 percent, Indonesia 3.7 percent, Malaysia 4.5 percent, Australia 3.4 percent and Japan 4.9 percent. The tiny allocation is surely a barrier to the creation of skilled manpower in the country, said AKMA Hamid.
That is why poor contribution of labour force is seen in the national productivity level. It is US $111 Bangladesh, $183 in India, $2661 in Malaysia and $10794 in Japan. Bangladesh is far behind in this respect also.
A golden opportunity will come for Bangladesh in 2030, when working people will be 71 percent of total population. Such opportunity approaches once in a century for a nation. After that the number of the working people will begin to fall, he opined.
To make up skilled manpower, Hamid emphasized on increased budgetary allocation for education sector, specially on technical education to fill up the 70 percent vacant posts of teacher in 49 government polytechnic colleges, strengthen 64 polytechnic schools and colleges in district headquarters, introduce technical education subjects in the existing schools and colleges in the country from the upcoming budget, otherwise it will be late in plan to make skilled manpower, he assumed.
As polytechnic graduate organization, IDEB will place strongly the issue of developing skilled manpower to nation by the 21st National Conference of Institute of Diploma Engineers which begins today and will continue till May 14. The slogan of the conference is selected as “Technology and proficiency will bring freedom and prosperity to working population.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the conference at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre. About 5,000 delegates, including teachers and students, from different areas of the country will participate in the two-day conference. Besides, delegations from SAARC countries, Australia, Philippines, USA and Middle East will participate.
IDEB will reward three distinguished persons for their significant contributions to different areas. They are Engineer Md Ohidun Nabi (posthumous) for Teesta Barrage, Engineer M A Gofran for renewable energy and Mamunur Rashid for cultural field.
The IDEB President suggested converting human resources in expanding technical education.
The importance of technical education is immense in a country’s economic development. For this, a change in the mindset for increasing skilled manpower in the country is necessary to build Bangladesh as one of the middle income countries, said AKMA Hamid, President of the Central Executive Committee of the Institute of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh (IDEB).
Talking with The New Nation, IDEB President said, we need to create more skilled and technical manpower if we want to improve our per capita income and if we want to achieve the target of becoming middle income country by 2021. He said, sadly Bangladesh stands 6th in seven South Asian countries in this respect.
Giving example, he said, about six lakh Indian citizens, who are technically skilled, work in Bangladesh’s different sectors and are paid higher salaries. The situation will be worse if immediate initiative is not taken to expand technical education across the country, he said.
More than 12 crore people, that means 71 percent of total population will be working manpower in Bangladesh by 2030 according to a report published in World Human Capital 2015. But till now,
importance has not been attached to technical education here. In the national budget, education sector does not get priority. In 2012 national budget, 2.3 percent of the development budget was allocated for education sector and 0.032 per cent thereof was allocated for technical education. It was lowest in the Asia Pacific region countries. In contrast, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman allocated 7.09 percent of the development budget in the education sector.
The same year, India allocated 3.2 percent of the national budget in the education sector, Pakistan 2.9 percent, Indonesia 3.7 percent, Malaysia 4.5 percent, Australia 3.4 percent and Japan 4.9 percent. The tiny allocation is surely a barrier to the creation of skilled manpower in the country, said AKMA Hamid.
That is why poor contribution of labour force is seen in the national productivity level. It is US $111 Bangladesh, $183 in India, $2661 in Malaysia and $10794 in Japan. Bangladesh is far behind in this respect also.
A golden opportunity will come for Bangladesh in 2030, when working people will be 71 percent of total population. Such opportunity approaches once in a century for a nation. After that the number of the working people will begin to fall, he opined.
To make up skilled manpower, Hamid emphasized on increased budgetary allocation for education sector, specially on technical education to fill up the 70 percent vacant posts of teacher in 49 government polytechnic colleges, strengthen 64 polytechnic schools and colleges in district headquarters, introduce technical education subjects in the existing schools and colleges in the country from the upcoming budget, otherwise it will be late in plan to make skilled manpower, he assumed.
As polytechnic graduate organization, IDEB will place strongly the issue of developing skilled manpower to nation by the 21st National Conference of Institute of Diploma Engineers which begins today and will continue till May 14. The slogan of the conference is selected as “Technology and proficiency will bring freedom and prosperity to working population.”
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the conference at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre. About 5,000 delegates, including teachers and students, from different areas of the country will participate in the two-day conference. Besides, delegations from SAARC countries, Australia, Philippines, USA and Middle East will participate.
IDEB will reward three distinguished persons for their significant contributions to different areas. They are Engineer Md Ohidun Nabi (posthumous) for Teesta Barrage, Engineer M A Gofran for renewable energy and Mamunur Rashid for cultural field.
The IDEB President suggested converting human resources in expanding technical education.
