Majhar Mannan :
We celebrated the golden jubilee of independence and also celebrated the birth centenary of the father of the nation. We have also achieved a milestone like the Padma Bridge. But it has not been possible to establish a permanent, standardized, up-to-date and effective education system and curriculum.
After independence many changes have been made in the education sector but the desired success has not been achieved. A lot of field survey and research is required when any method is introduced. Lack of survey and research results is in no benefits.
There have been many reforms in the education sector but due to lack of proper survey and research it has not been fully successful. And so there is a need to create a new curriculum and it started from the year 2023.
The new curriculum must be applauded. But its weaknesses must be taken into account and its practical application must also be considered. The new curriculum has many topics that are relevant and much needed right now. However, there are some issues that need more research.
In the new curriculum, some initiatives have been taken to standardize the textbooks, examination methods and class activities. GPA based results are changing. Earlier public examination results were determined in first division, second division and third division.
Later GPA system was introduced. Initially, the results of the GPA method were quite satisfactory. But gradually it started losing acceptance. Students, teachers and educational institutions are desperate to ensure GPA 5. It seemed that the only purpose of studying was to achieve a GPA of 5. But in this unhealthy competition, the educational disparity between rural and urban areas continues to increase.
The decision to release GPA based results in the new curriculum is to be applauded. Another good aspect of the new curriculum is the abolition of structured questions in the form of creative and a radical overhaul of the traditional multiple-choice questions.
A century and a half passed in structured creative questions but the desired results did not come. It was not possible to have the kind of trained teachers needed to create creative questions. It was not even possible to create a text book in the style of real creativity.
In the assessment of students in the new curriculum, two stages of learning and collective assessment have been mentioned. Assessment during learning will be institutional and summative nationally. More research is needed on learning assessment.
Learning assessment will be done continuously throughout the year. The concept is excellent. But the reality of the country says otherwise. In developed and educationally advanced countries, learning-based or institutionalized continuous assessment is prioritized and successful in this regard.
The main reason behind their success is the status and high salary of teachers. Even teachers don’t get involved in the coaching business there. But our context is just the opposite. Both the social status and salary of our teachers are in jeopardy. Due to weak pay structure, coaching mentality is evident among teachers.
Therefore, this learning-based assessment of the new curriculum may fall into the trap of coaching teachers. That would be another new mess. The total score of learning based assessment will be in the hands of the teachers. Those who cannot do private or coaching may be deprived in this regard.
The new syllabus says that the examination will not be paper-based only; it will have a practical aspect. That is, in the assessment of students, there will be various issues including assignments, presentations, communication. This assessment will be in three categories: Beginner Level, Intermediate Level, and Proficient Level.
The evaluation will be based on merit. All are well organized. But how much have we been able to prepare the artisans of this beautiful arrangement? The big question is to what extent this new method of evaluation can be taken to the desired level without appropriate or proper training of the teachers. It is said that the new curriculum will be implemented between 2023 and 2027.
Reduce the rate of traditional examination and focus more on continuous assessment. But corruption in education, leakage of questions, abuse of guides and note books, without stopping the business of coaching and without doing the desired reform of text books, it is not understandable how it is possible to develop an ideal curriculum only through learning based and summative assessment.
According to the new curriculum, students will be freed from the heavy pressure of exams. There will be no formal examination till class III. This is a great move. There will be learning-based and summative assessment in Bengali, English, Mathematics, Science, Social Science from class IV to class X. Assessment of the other five subjects will be continuous or year-round in the institution. This is also a great initiative.
If we were to do learning-based and overall evaluation of 10 subjects, the score would be opposite. In class XI and XII, marks for collective assessment are kept at 70 and subject-wise at 30. However, the format of question method for summative assessment is not yet known in detail. There is a need for innovation in summative assessment. I don’t see the option of including chapter wise question bank in the text book.
The talented students do not find opportunities to build a better career in this profession. They do not want to enter this profession due to various reasons including low salary, limited opportunities for promotion, transfer and social status. And if talented people do not come to this profession, then the dream of implementing the new curriculum will remain elusive. If the seed is not good, there is no chance of good harvest. So the talent should be brought into this profession by ensuring individual salary structure. Education should be used for the interest of the country and not for political gain.
The writer is Assistant Professor & Columnist