Should we hope for a little bit of change in education?
Dr. Md. Shamsul Arefin :
People say, education in Bangladesh needs a little bit change for addressing several systemic issues like improved access to education, quality education that would be at the same time, efficient and cost effective.
Each year, the government spends significant resources on printing and distributing textbooks to each student in Bangladesh which is an unprecedented picture in the rest of the world.
If the books are revolved by Head Teachers to the students, books can be rolled out among students for at least three years. Just an instruction needs to be given to the Head Teacher that books are required to be rolled out for three years among the students.
Not a single country in the world prints school text books each year for their students. First world countries encourage reuse of textbooks in primary and secondary education which can lower printing needs and reduce environmental impacts.
In the long run, introducing e-books and digital platforms could reduce costs and wastage over time in Bangladesh, especially in urban areas with better internet access.
The government can promote the digitization of textbooks, reducing the dependence on physical books and saving costs in annual procurement in the long run. This can be paired with the development of a national online education platform where students can access lessons, study materials, and practice quizzes.
Smart classrooms equipped with digital boards and e-learning facilities in schools are required in the long run. This will enhance interactive learning especially in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
Focus on improving teacher training programs to align with modern pedagogical methods, including digital literacy and subject-specific training is the need of the hour.
Upazila level Degree College’s conference room can be used for the time being as Upazila teachers training centers for improvingprofessional teaching learning methods for teachers.
They need continuous improvement of the teaching technique which is, till now, absent in Bangladesh especially for the secondary school teachers.
Regular Performance Evaluations of Teachers need an objective performance evaluation system combining classroom observations, student feedback, and student outcomes.
External evaluators, such as District Education Officers or Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Education may conduct these evaluations to ensure fairness and transparency for the promotion of teachers.
Teacher’s salaries and benefits to make the profession more attractive to talented individuals is the need of the hour. A well-compensated workforce is more likely to stay motivated and perform well.
The curriculum focuses on competency-based education, moving away from routine memorization to developing students’ critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills are considered a hallmark of education.
There should be a project-based learning system, where students can work on real-life problems through applying their instant knowledge. Curriculum of existing teacher training colleges and institutes may be redesigned to ensure that they provide high-quality training to teachers with modern teaching practices with competency.
A robust accreditation system for teachers that ensures they meet certain standards of quality for teaching can be considered. Only graduates from accredited programs should be eligible for teaching positions in government schools.
Teachers should be trained in social and emotional learning strategies to create a positive and fostering classroom environment. We know that strong teacher-student relationships have a proven impact on student engagement and learning outcomes.
Role of teachers from lecturers to facilitators who guide students in learning, encourage critical thinking, and support students’ individual learning styles is very important which actually needs to be exercised like teachers of European countries
Schools need better infrastructure to support digital learning, such as reliable electricity, internet access, and computer labs.
Improving sanitation facilities in schools, especially for girls, can help reduce dropout rates. Feni flood disaster has given us a lesson recently that henceforth the school infrastructures are required to be established that are safe from natural disasters, particularly in rural and flood-prone areas.
Children with disabilities or special needs have to be accessed to quality special education through tailor made programs and facilities. Only theoretical classes in the tertiary level education may be allowed to continue for online virtual classes. This will help ease traffic congestion in the city as well.
Instead of relying solely on high-stakes annual examinations,the exam result may be dependent on 50% annual examination plus 50% continuous assessment systems that evaluate students based on projects, participation, assignments, and other formative activities throughout the year in the classroom.
During public examinations, total students of a school are needed to change their school in the name of transparency of examination which creates huge traffic congestion and a havoc in the mindset of new adolescent students. This kind of practice of creating havoc in the mindset of students before appearing on their first public exam is quite unknown to other countries of the world.
Green school concepts such as development of sustainable school infrastructure by promoting solar energy, rainwater harvesting, and energy-efficient designs in schools with more windows for more sunlight are required to be established and maintained.
At tertiary level, Industry-Academic Partnerships (IAP) are very important for reducing unemployment for the youth. Strengthening partnerships between educational institutions and industries to ensure that demand based education programs align with the needs of the job markets are established.
Internship programs, apprenticeships, and career guidance by the industry at tertiary level can help student’s transition smoothly into their employment after education.
Teacher does not actually need any transfer. Measures need to be taken so that PSC can advertise on the basis of a particular vacant post of a school or college and thus recruit accordingly. It has been seen from the newspaper that the private schools without transfer systems of teachers have done better in their performance and exam results than government schools with transferable teachers.
Incentives for high performers such as rewarding high-performing teachers with financial bonuses, recognition, and career advancement opportunities need to be given and this will create a competitive environment that motivates teachers to improve their performance.
Targeting underperformance is important such as teachers who consistently underperform, may provide remedial training and support. If improvement is not achieved after multiple interventions within a certain period of time, these teachers may go out of the profession with full financial benefits.
Collaboration with international educational institutions to bring global best practices to the field of education such as exchange programs, workshops, and webinars with foreign experts can expose teachers to innovative teaching methodologies and maintain global standards for their students.
(The author is an Adjunct Faculty, Bangladesh Institute of Governance and Management, Dhaka)