Staff Reporter :
Dr. Debapriya Bhattacharya, Convener of the Citizen’s Platform for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), emphasized on Tuesday that technical and vocational education will be crucial for Bangladesh in tackling post-LDC graduation challenges.
Speaking at a media briefing titled “Technical and Vocational Education in Bangladesh: Current Situation and Reform Thoughts” held at the CPD office in Dhaka, he stated, “Rather than continuing discriminatory practices against technical and vocational education, these sectors must be prioritised. Developing our human resources is essential.”
The Citizen’s Platform for SDGs organised the event to draw government attention to the state of technical and vocational education institutions and to promote policy initiatives through a review of the current landscape and potential reforms.
Dr. Debapriya, who is also a Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), urged the government to give due importance to technical and vocational education.
“We are witnessing student protests across the country, but regrettably, policymakers are not sufficiently responding to their demands, nor are the media giving these issues the coverage they deserve,” he added.
In 2023, CPD, in collaboration with the Citizen’s Platform, conducted a grassroots-level social audit that engaged students (current and former), trainees, teachers, guardians, government officials, and other stakeholders involved with technical and vocational education.
Following the audit, a national conference was held in Dhaka on 2 November 2024 to present the findings.
The study identified several key concerns, including ineffective teaching methods, the limited recognition of technical education certificates both at home and abroad, and persistent negative social perceptions toward students and trainees of these institutions.
CPD Distinguished Fellow Dr. Mustafizur Rahman also attended the media briefing.
