Masum Billah :
Responding to people’s demand and desire coupled with the practical reality of our education field, the interim government has already announced the replacement of `competency-based curriculum’ by outcome based one along with written examination system that the so-called new curriculum ignored seriously.
The decision may create a temporary problem to print books changing the cover and contents. If the interim government wants to retain the tradition of giving books to the students on the first day of the year, it means we have barely four months left that proves insufficient time for this gigantic task. So, the decision must come from the authorities immediately so that the owners of the printing press may start working soon.
We know that the students of grade six and seven started using books on new curriculum since 2023 and two, three, eight and nine graders began doing it since January 2024. Books for the students of grade four, five and ten have been going on for the year 2025.
However, things have witnessed a break since July this year due to ‘anti-discrimination movement ‘ and the political landscape changed on 05 August that effected the government, semi-government and autonomous bodies and the heads of these organizations began to resign including the chairman of NCTB and some more important positions also lie vacant. So, it could not have given attention to printing books facing the changed situation.
The education advisor has already mentioned that the new curriculum holds serious weakness and it is further weak in the secondary level. Hats off to the advisor as we failed to make the previous authorities understand this fact!
In the midst of this unsteady situation, I want to draw the kind attention of the ministry and NCTB to print the books we used in 2022 before introducing new curriculum in 2023. The teachers are familiar with the books, assessment system and they have training also how to use these books. It will reduce many complexities. However, one or two sample questions should be attached to the books of each subject so that teachers can assess their students following that guideline.
An expert committee should be appointed to develop minimum two sets of sample question papers focusing on students’ creativity and originality. Sample questions must be developed in such a way as they compel students to read the textbooks thoroughly, attend classes regularly and must reflect their creativity even if they read other books than textbooks.
NCTB prints 360 million books every year to distribute among students across the country and the entire work keeps the NCTB officials awfully busy leaving their principal work to ensure the quality of books, proper monitoring the classes of teachers and conducting research.
Question arises, do we need not give free textbooks to all kinds of students from grade one to ten? Can we really afford to do it when the quality of education of around ninety percent students lies at the bottom of the jar? None of us think of this grim facts as ninety percent students cannot write even several correct sentences either in Bengali or in English but they are passing public examinations with high grades.
This must be stopped once and for all. We need not show the bumper GPA-5 keeping a big truth completely hidden. NCTB and Education Boards must work on this issue seriously.
Let us keep away from taking the credit of giving free books to all kinds of students and all areas as it doesn’t play any role to develop the quality of education. Moreover, we cannot do it properly as the students don’t get the books of all subjects even after March in many areas. NCTB people show much more interest in printing and distributing books ignoring the quality aspects of books and education mainly because of monetary gain.
As our primary education is free and compulsory, we can give free books to primary students only and this work must be done by the Directorate of Primary Education, not NCTB. And the secondary level books will be distributed by some big organizations/ companies’ division or district wise and a competition should be developed among them as who can develop the highest quality books and distribute them timelier.
However, curriculum and guideline must be given by NCTB where subject experts, education experts and professional researchers will be there whose works will be to see the practical situation of classroom across the country on sample basis and conduct research.
The outcome of the research must be shared with all the stakeholders of education regularly, may be at least once or twice a year. On the basis of this research, if any change is necessary to make, that can be done.
All the books should be in the open market and anyone can buy books any time at a cheaper price. Now many students tear the pages of their books, many lose their books who go to classes without textbooks during the rest of the months as books are not available in the market, nor they get the book for the second time. And those who want read books for conducting research, learning and writing something critically cannot buy books.
I have experienced this situation. Online books are not user friendly and not available all the time. So, books must be open to buy for anyone, anytime. If the government really wants to distribute books, that can be only for the students of hard-to-reach and slum areas. Books must not be given through rationing system.
(The writer is President, English Teachers’ Association of Bangladesh).