Outline of Reform and Development plan in Education Sector (of Bangladesh) 2: Fundamental changes in Education System, Primary and Secondary Education

 

Fundamental changes in Education System

• Education is the most important force. There is vast latent power hidden in every human being. Through education, each one can become a huge force by awakening one’s latent power. It is possible to achieve everything in life with knowledge and education. Anyone can to do anything starting at almost any age if tried in the right way – this belief has to be woken up in everyone. If people can wake up, they will not need anything else. Whereas a single person can become a huge force, we would not have to look back, if we can raise this latent potential in 160 million people.
  • Education is not limited to academic institutions only, we can learn from everything around us at each moment of life.
  • Our generation has the highest scope to raise itself compared to any time in history. Modern technological inventions have given us unique discoveries and opportunities – people can now learn anything at any point of time, communicate with anyone, reach out to millions of people, work, and earn money.
• Budget allocation for education sector will increase.
• Education Commission will be formed with educationists and experts. On the basis of the commission’s suggestions, with input from students, parents, a radical reform will be brought in every stage of education from primary to higher education.
• Creative, problem solving based and practical life applicable education system will be introduced.
  • Methods to see the world through knowledge gained from books will be taught.
  • “Learning by doing” will be introduced. This will create a synthesis of book world and real life.
• Students will learn by using modern Information Technology. They will learn through mutual communication using information technology.
• From engineers to peasants, the opportunity of “lifelong learning” will be available to all utilizing information technology.

 

Primary and Secondary Education

• Modern libraries will be built in each school of the country.
  • Those libraries will be the center of knowledge acquisition and knowledge sharing.
  • Books, computers with high speed internet and necessary equipment will be provided.
  • School libraries will always be open. Students will be able to spend time in the library as long as their hunger for knowledge isn’t satisfied.
• Changes in the curriculum will be brought about to build up good citizens. Ethics education will be included.
• Reforms in the method of testing (examination) and assessment system will take place.
• Students will participate in merit based competitions. A meritorious nation will be developed through various Olympiads, competitions and other initiatives.
  • Students, teenagers, young people will solve problems during their leisure time. Intellectual wisdom will grow. A new culture will prosper. Everyone will be thoughtful, meritorious, intelligent.
  • From national up to the village level, Mathematical Olympiad, culture of science projects will be spread.

 

Above Article in Bengali: Outline of Reform and Development plan in Education Sector (শিক্ষা খাতে সংস্কার ও উন্নয়ন পরিকল্পনার রূপরেখা)

Outline of Reform and Development plan in Education Sector (of Bangladesh) 1: Universities and Higher Education

 

Universities and Higher Education

• Several world-class research universities will be established in Bangladesh.
  • With the initiative of building world-class universities, research institutes and industries in the country, and ensuring investment, Bangladeshi PhD Degree recipients from top universities of the world will be brought back to the nation.
  • It is possible to establish BUET, DU and CUET as world class universities now. If the wind of change takes place it will spread to all the universities. NSU, MIST, CU, SUST, RU, KUET, RUET, KU and other universities will come up top at rankings. Just like we are grabbing top positions in ICPC or TopCoder rankings.
  • Quality research will start in universities – funding and allocation will increase, research culture will change. Faculty members will do research, publish papers not only to get promotions, but to solve problems of the industry, establish new scientific theories.
  • Collaboration between the University and Industry will increase.
    • Considering demand of the industry, changes in the curriculum of universities will take place.
    • Universities and Industries will work together in product development and research.
    • A student project will become an industrial product.
    • Faculty members will apply for funding for product development and Research to Industry.
  • Transparency will be ensured in giving approval to private universities and their branches – minimum quality will be ensured.
• Ranking system for universities of Bangladesh maintaining international standards will be introduced.
  • Various “objective measures” will be used in the ranking system – which cannot be debated upon: Points for paper publication in journals and conferences, Points for impact factor of papers, Points for success at national and international competitions, Points for percentage of employment within 3 months of passing, Points for teachers’ educational qualifications and research profiles, Points for student-teacher ratio – and other such measures.
  • Private universities will compete for meritorious students among themselves and with government universities – and as a result, the quality of all the universities will increase.
  • Subject / Department-based ranking system will be introduced.
  • A university student might proudly say: you know what, our University’s Computer Science and Engineering department is the best! Another student will declare: our University’s Mechanical Engineering department is the best and one of the top 10 in Asia!
• Among the 3 dreams that were determined by Bangladesh Mathematical Olympiad Committee were: A Bangladeshi Mathematician winning the Fields Medal by 2022 and by 2030 a Bangladeshi scientist winning the Nobel Prize. World-class research institutes will be established and a new awakening in research culture will be ensured to make sure these dreams of winning the Fields Medal and the Nobel Prize by 2030 are realized.
• Appropriate steps will be taken so that the educational activities of higher education institutions are not obstructed due to ill politics, and corruption (such as recruitment irregularities).
  • Reasons for session jam (violence on campus, teachers’ and students’ politics, etc.) will be identified and appropriate steps will be taken. Undergraduate students will complete their bachelor’s degree in 4 years.
  • We want to see the practice of healthy politics, innovative initiatives in the education sector – students will work together to solve various problems of colleges and universities, and also solve problems of people.
• Public universities will be established in those districts where there is no university. Districts which have their own universities will have their seats increased.
  • If given opportunity many people will want to do good jobs with a degree from colleges, universities. Some colleges and universities can not be confined to HSC or equivalent students only. Education is the surest possible way to get established in society – many understand this after being a little older!

 

Above Article in Bengali: Outline of Reform and Development plan in Education Sector (শিক্ষা খাতে সংস্কার ও উন্নয়ন পরিকল্পনার রূপরেখা)

Distinction between Politics of Developed and Emerging Nations

 

Distinction between Politics of Developed and Emerging Nations

In emerging nations, national systems: economic, financial, educational, industrial, are far behind currently available technology & human knowledge frontiers. This leaves room for improvement. So in those nations, political debate centers around “development”. Political parties distinguish themselves with manifesto or propaganda of better development models.

In developed nations like United States and United Kingdom, nation’s systems are close to possibility frontiers. Debate (in US, UK) centers around policies / issues, legal or economic choices:

• Equality or Pro-market
• Immigration
• Tax
• Climate change
• Foreign policy
• Healthcare expansion or contraction

Development (Growth) in developed nations require (in many cases) revolution in human knowledge and understanding

• Infrastructure for flying cars & self driving cars
• Smart Cities
• Revision of our current understanding of Finance