Necessity of establishing `Education University’

Sheikh Shahbaz Riad :
The word education is used in two senses in modern times. Education in general refers to the learning process. As a process of learning, education is said to be a positive, beneficial and expected change in the behavior of the individual through experience and practice. As a result of such changes, the needs of the child and the society are met and overall development is achieved.
One of the main tasks of the modern education system is to keep all sectors alive and creative, including the production and service sectors of the society and the state. It is responsible for meeting the domestic needs of the state as well as meeting the global needs. This is especially applicable to developing countries like Bangladesh. In order to sustain the development trend of Bangladesh, it is necessary to continue to expand and improve the quality of education. A generation skilled in profession and scholarship, dynamic in knowledge and technology, aware of their culture and tradition and committed to creativity is a special need for Bangladesh.
In the second sense, education refers to a science or field of knowledge that is ‘educational science’. Education science, on the other hand, is a special part or branch of human knowledge in which various ideas, theories and facts about education and its processes are described, explained, analyzed and tested. Today Education is recognized worldwide as a separate and self-contained discipline or field of study.
Taking these doctrines into consideration, it can be said that education science is an applied and integrated social science. But in the final judgment it is not appropriate to confine education science to the boundaries of social science. Because natural sciences and humanities have important influence on education science. As a field of knowledge, education science has been enriched by the various concepts, beliefs, terms, theories, information, methods etc. Taking the overall aspect into consideration, it can be said that Education is a multi-dimensional science. Education science refers to scientific conclusions reached through the review, observation and investigation of educational phenomena.
The major areas of education science are history of education, philosophy of education, psychology of education, sociology of education, economics of education, educational policy, curriculum planning and development, teaching-learning methods and techniques, educational administration and management, educational guidance and counseling, educational technology, educational measurement and Assessment, Comparative Education, Language Education, Science Education, Social Science Education, Agricultural Education, Art Education, Music and Dance Education, Integrated Education, Women’s Education, Environmental Education, Physical Education, Educational Research, Educational Technology, Development Education, Welfare Education, Adult Education, Special Education, Civic Education, Vocational Education, Mass Education, Liberal Moral Education, Moral Education, human rights education, technical education, civic education, global education, lifelong education, gender and inclusive education and teacher education etc.
Today in all developed countries and many developing countries education science has gained important status in the academic arena as a branch of independent knowledge. In some countries independent full-fledged universities have been established under the name of ‘Education University’. Different universities in many countries have separate faculties of education. These institutes offer bachelors and master’s degrees and M.Phil and Ph.D degrees in education. The holders of these degrees get priority in getting employment in various types of work in the education sector of the country.
Hopefully, the study of ‘education’ is expanding day by day in Bangladesh. Various programs are being conducted in the study of ‘Education’ in different universities of Bangladesh. Since its establishment in 1909, this degree has been running under the name of Bachelor of Teaching in Dhaka Teachers Training College which at present known one year Bachelor of Education. Besides, various teacher training colleges have been conducting undergraduate, graduate (honors) and postgraduate programs in education for several decades. In this regard Institute of Education and Research (IER)of Dhaka University, established in 1960 has started post-graduation, MPhil and PhD programs in education. Since 1995, Bachelor (Honours) and Post Graduate programs are being conducted in Education. Later the National University took up Bachelor (Honours), Post Graduate programs in Education. IER of Rajshahi, Chottagram and Jagannath University are conducting Bachelors, Masters, MPhil and PhD degrees in Education. Education departments and institutes have also been started in some private universities in Bangladesh. All these steps have created momentum for the study of ‘education’ in Bangladesh.
Considering this vast range of education science, it is also important to establish an educational university in Bangladesh. If there is a university of education, it will be possible to open separate departments on different fields of education. For example Department of Curriculum, Department of Teaching Science (Pedagogy and Andrology), Department of Educational Management, Department of Pre-Primary and Primary Education, Department of Secondary Education, Department of Higher Education, Department of Teacher Education, Department of Special and Integrated Education, Department of Non-formal and Continuing Education, Department of Education and Development etc. can be named.
It must be remembered that our history of education is as old as it is one of the largest in the world. So for efficiently accomplish one of the oldest and largest educational systems in the world, to bring all types of training in the country under one umbrella, to ensure quality training and to create extensive research opportunities and to bring the talented generation back to the glorious history of education, it is necessary to establish an education university. In that case the present location of the oldest Dhaka Teachers Training College established in 1909 may be considered as a suitable place.

(The writer is Associate Professor, Teachers’ Training College, Dhaka).