Changes coming to the 2027 textbooks

Several significant changes are being introduced to primary and secondary level textbooks.

For the 2027 academic year, alongside the addition of new subjects and books, existing textbooks are undergoing revisions, with new essays and historical topics being incorporated.

These changes are viewed as an interim step prior to the implementation of comprehensive curriculum reforms in 2028.

Simultaneously, the assessment framework for grades six through nine has also been finalized.

The newly introduced subjects, lessons, and assessment methods were approved at a recent meeting at the Ministry of Education. Mahdi Amin, the Prime Minister’s Advisor on Education and Primary & Mass Education, outlined the plans for educational reform.

He stated that there is a plan to implement comprehensive and extensive reforms across the country’s entire education curriculum starting from the 2028 academic year. Prior to that, necessary revisions, additions, and deletions are being made to the textbooks for 2027.

Four new books and subjects are being introduced at the primary and secondary levels starting from the next academic year. An integrated book titled ‘Sports and Culture’-focusing on sports and physical education-will be introduced for Class 4.

Plans are also in place to make ‘Learning with Happiness’ (as life-oriented education) and ‘Technical Education’ (to enhance practical skills) mandatory from Class 6.

In the same vein, familiarizing students with artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and modern technologies is also gaining importance.

Several changes are being introduced to the textbooks for classes 6 through 9 at the secondary level. The National Curriculum Coordination Committee (NCCC) has approved these changes.

Decisions regarding the inclusion of new content, alongside updates to the assessment framework, were reached during a recent committee meeting held at the Ministry of Education.

The ‘Information and Communication Technology’ textbooks for these four grades-classes 6 through 9-will be updated to align with contemporary standards.

Approval has been granted for the necessary revisions to this effect. A new essay titled ‘Third Language’ is being added to the Class 6 Bengali textbook.

The lives and contributions of the seven Bir Sreshthos (Highest Gallantry Award recipients) will be included in the ‘Bangladesh and Global Studies’ textbook for the same grade. Approval has also been given to include content regarding the various brigade forces of the Liberation War in the Class 8 Bengali textbook.

Additionally, a decision has been made to newly incorporate the role of BNP Chairperson and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia in the mass uprising of the 1990s into the textbooks for classes eight and nine. Furthermore, the ‘Soldiers-People Revolution’ of November 7 will be included in the textbooks for classes six through nine.

Changes are being introduced not only to the textbooks but also to the assessment framework for classes six to nine; in accordance with the decision of the National Curriculum Coordination Committee, institution-based assessments will be conducted for these four grade levels.

Educational activities will be conducted following this framework. It has been decided that the selection test and the public examination (SSC) at the end of the tenth grade will be held using the same assessment method.

Education Adviser Mahdi Amin has stated that, as part of the education system reforms, the practice of inflating examination results will be stopped. Citing the recently published SSC results, he criticized the past practice of artificially boosting pass rates and GPA-5 figures to present a favorable statistical picture.

He stated that, this time, students’ true merit has been reflected through impartial evaluation, without awarding any grace marks. At the same time, he outlined plans to bring young people who have failed or are at risk of dropping out of education under the ambit of Technical Training Centers (TTCs) and short-term vocational courses.

Equipping students for the workforce is being prioritized as a key objective of the new curriculum. There are plans to establish ‘Employment Exchange’ centers at both divisional and district levels to create employment opportunities for individuals upon completion of their education.

At these centers, young men and women will register by providing details of the skills they have acquired. Subsequently, through coordination with the private sector and industrial establishments, direct connections will be facilitated between job seekers and employers. The plan is to initially launch this initiative on a pilot basis at the divisional level and later expand it to the districts.

Initiatives are also being taken to equip teachers with technology. There is a plan to gradually provide digital technology tools to teachers ranging from the primary to the higher secondary levels. Under the ‘One Teacher, One Tab’ program, it has been announced that teachers will be provided with tablets and trained in modern information technology.

This is expected to increase the use of technology in classrooms and enable teachers to more easily adopt modern teaching methods. Plans are in place to reform not only school and college curricula but also the higher education sector. Proposals have been made to increase government funding for research to foster a world-class research environment in universities and improve their international rankings.

Various initiatives are also being undertaken to reduce the disparity in education between urban and rural areas.

Initiatives have been taken to organize competitions such as the ‘Primary School Gold Cup Football Tournament’ and the ‘Innovation and Startup Competition’ to bring talented students from remote areas to the national stage. It is believed that these events will create opportunities for rural students to showcase their talents at the national level in the fields of sports, innovation, and creativity.

Moving away from a certificate-centric approach, the government is working to implement comprehensive and extensive reforms across the entire curriculum starting from the 2028 academic year-following an interim transition in 2027-to establish an education system grounded in merit, skills, ethics, and human values, while also being suited to the needs of the workplace.