Bobby Hajjaj stresses play-based learning to improve primary education
State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj has stressed the need to make learning enjoyable through games and hands-on activities while regularly assessing children’s learning skills.
He made the remarks during visits to Mahutuli Renaissance Government Primary School and Proshonno Poddar Lane Government Primary School under Kotwali Thana in Old Dhaka, according to a ministry press release.
During the visits, he distributed learning toys and materials among students and observed how they used them to understand different concepts. He also assessed their foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) skills at the primary level.
The state minister observed that children could grasp various subjects more easily and enjoyably through learning toys. He said some topics that took time to explain through conventional classroom teaching could be understood more quickly through hands-on materials.
Such tools could increase students’ interest, enthusiasm and participation in learning, he added.
Hajjaj said improving primary education required more than ensuring school infrastructure and student attendance.
Authorities also needed to check regularly what children were learning, whether they were achieving expected learning outcomes and how effectively teachers were delivering lessons.
He said school visits were therefore focusing on students’ actual learning skills alongside infrastructure, classrooms, furniture, washrooms, teachers’ attendance and teaching methods.
The state minister also stressed the need to identify gaps in foundational skills, particularly in mathematics and English, and take effective measures to address them.
He said classroom-based assessments and joyful, participatory activities suited to children could help overcome these gaps. Drawing on experiences from school visits, the ministry would consider expanding the use of learning toys and other effective teaching methods.
Hajjaj also discussed efforts to fill vacant head teacher posts at government primary schools, saying around 34,500 such posts remained vacant nationwide.
He said discussions were underway with the Public Service Commission (PSC) to expedite recruitment. Filling the vacancies quickly would strengthen school leadership and make administrative activities more effective, he added.
The state minister said the promotion of efficient and experienced teachers was also under consideration. Necessary steps would be taken in coordination with existing recruitment rules and PSC procedures.
He added that the need to recruit assistant teachers would be assessed again after the head teacher recruitment process was completed.
Officials from the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, the Directorate of Primary Education and the local administration were present during the visits.
