Majhar Mannan :
A big change is going to be introduced in education, said the Education Minister Dr. Dipu Moni recently. This is obviously a hopeful news for all as experts have repeatedly expressed their concern of the development of quality education. A few things are clear to us from the hint of education minister regarding the quality education. The minister indicated there will be major changes in the textbooks. And even to ensure the quality education, all other programs including the recruitment of skilled teachers and the training of teachers will be undertaken expeditiously. It has been reported that the division of Science, Arts and Commerce at the secondary level will be abolished. Life and career oriented education will be encouraged and at the same time technical and vocational education will be expanded. I applaud the initiative taken by the ministry of education to reform the conventional education system.
Education is the backbone of a nation and it is not possible for any nation to move forward without education. But there are many researches and theories on what kind of education can move a nation forward. Even after receiving education, when a young man cannot do anything for himself, for the society, for the state, that education becomes a burden instead of a blessing for him. According to Rabindranath Tagore, education is a process that not only provides information but also builds our lives in harmony with the world. By quality education we mean what makes a young man skilled for his own existence and for the welfare of society. But sadly, our current memorization and certificate based education system has failed to instill the desired skill among the learners. The enrolment rate of education in the country is increasing and it may be a cause of temporary happiness for us but if we fail to provide quality education then the outcome will not be good. Experts believe that if the quality education can not be reconciled with the rate of education, it will not be of any real use in the context of the present era.
There are a number of issues that need to be addressed now to ensure the quality of education. The quality of education is deteriorating day by day due to over reliance on guide books. To make the students textbooks oriented, quality textbooks must be prepared and to reduce the reliance on guide books, textbooks should be provided with question bank. Current examination system, excessive exam stress and tendency to obtain GPA 5 do not seem to be conducive to quality education. Excessive exam pressure and scattering of guide books disrupt students’ talents. A standard syllabus is a prerequisite for quality education. It is not wise to impose a large syllabus on students rather short and creative syllabus may be more useful for students. Excessive coaching tendency and its pressure on students are major barriers to quality education.
Instead of coaching, students need to be oriented towards classes to ensure quality education provided in the classroom, the topics included in the textbooks should be explained to the students in a beautiful way. Skilled and knowledgeable teachers are needed for proper teaching in the classroom. It is difficult to find skilled, highly educated and knowledgeable teachers in remote areas of the country. Without skilled and experienced teachers quality education is just a fantasy. Recruiting experienced and trained teachers has become very essential and for this they need to be given handsome salaries and beautiful environment. The government has a plan to recruit about 35000 teachers. There is a strong link between quality education and co-curricular activities. Co-curricular activities must include debates, recitals, sports, music, theater, scout, language club, science club, business club and writing. Quality education can not be possible unless co-educational activities are confirmed in schools in remote areas in the country.
The government has formulated an education policy 2010 and its proper implementation can confirm quality education. There is no substitute for recruiting skilled teachers in English, Science and Mathematics to bring quality in education. A survey shows that 90 percent of students pass the primary level with weakness in Mathematics. According to BANBEIS, 30 percent of teachers have no training at the secondary level and 30 percent of schools have no science laboratory. According to World Economic Forum, Bangladesh lags behind in South Asia in terms of quality of education. In this case, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal are ahead of us. By international standards, the education budget should be 6 percent of GDP and 20 percent of the total budget. But our country’s education budget is below 15 percent of the total budget. UNESCO has long been talking about allocating 20 percent of the total budget to the education sector. Existing education is of no use in increasing productivity. Large budget and investment are needed for quality education.
Even after 48 years of Independence, the desired allocation for education in the budget has not been noticed. A number of teachers have already been enrolled in the MPO and will need money in the budget for them. At present two-thirds of the allocation for education is spent on salaries and allowances for teachers and staffs. One third is spent on the development of education. If we really want development in education, we need to increase the allocation for the development of education. Without quality education, it will not be possible to achieve the Digital Bangladesh in 2021, Sustainable Development Goals in 2030, developed state in 2041 and the Delta plan in 2100.
(Mr. Majhar is Assistant Professor, B A F Shaheen College Kurmitola, Dhaka
Cantonment).
