"You can never get out of knowledge dependency"
The way the new curriculum is designed is good. If it is implemented properly, the country's education will go a long way. In this curriculum, students do not have to be bogged down in memorization. However, there is a deficiency in the preparation for the implementation of this curriculum. Apart from this, some other subjects including grammar need to be added in the new system.
These words came out in a round table meeting on 'National Education Policy and New Curriculum' at the National Press Club in the capital on Sunday (April 28) afternoon.
Bangladesh College-University Teachers Association (BACUTA) organized the meeting. Starting from the Minister of Education, teachers, students, educational experts, people involved in curriculum formulation, teacher leaders and parents presented their positions. In the nearly three-hour long meeting, various issues of education were discussed, but the issue of the new curriculum got the most importance.
The chief guest of the roundtable meeting, Education Minister Mahibul Hasan Chowdhury responded to the criticism of the new curriculum from some quarters. He said, 'In the new curriculum, knowledge has also been emphasized. One can never get out of dependence on knowledge. The point (of the new curriculum) is that there should be a place for knowledge and skills and application of knowledge.'
Professor Azizur Rahman of Psychology Department of Dhaka University presented the article entitled 'Some Observations on Our Conventional Education System and National Curriculum Outline 2021'. He is a member of the Presidium of the College-University Teachers Association.
Azizur Rahman highlighted various aspects of the new curriculum and said that experiential learning has been adopted as the main basis in the outline of the curriculum. He feels that experiential learning is more timely and accurate than note learning. He hopes that once the new curriculum is implemented, students will not have to rush to memorize or run to coaching centers.
Professor Azizur Rahman also highlighted some negative aspects of the new curriculum. He said that it is impossible to implement the new curriculum while maintaining the existing teacher-student ratio. The new curriculum will increase the workload of teachers by changing the roles of students in and out of the classroom, which is almost impossible for a teacher to give individual attention to each student in a class of 80-90 students.
A parent of a student studying in seventh grade at Sahajpath High School in the capital said that the new curriculum did not seem like a big problem to him.
Dhaka University student Mehrun Nessa tutored. She said that the purpose for which the new curriculum has been designed is good.
In the president's speech, President of Bangladesh College-University Teachers Association Noor Mohammad Talukdar said, 'I am questioning whether the initiative taken to change the curriculum is well planned or not. We are observing the positive and negative effects of the sporadic implementation of this curriculum.
Noor Mohammad Talukder mentioned some issues of sporadic implementation. He said that the evaluation of students has not been completely fixed yet. It has been said that there will be two methods of evaluation. Evaluation is a touchy subject. Decisions should be made after careful and detailed discussion.'
Emeritus Professor of BRAC University, Manzoor Ahmad highlighted the various issues raised in the round table discussion and said, the discussion felt that it is not realistic to a large extent in the current overall situation. Because, the environment, teacher and teacher preparation, infrastructure, materials and parent preparation needed to implement it are lacking. That requires a holistic approach. You have to think in terms of reality.
Highlighting the need for a single leadership for the two ministries of education, Professor Manzoor Ahmad said, it seems that there has been a problem in coordination between the two ministries. He also emphasized on the Permanent Education Commission.
Member of National Curriculum and Textbook Board (Curriculum) Prof. Mashiuzzaman responded to the various issues raised in the round table about the curriculum. He said, now 55 students are admitted in each class branch. It will be brought up to 40 in a phased manner.
Professor M Tariq Ahsan of Dhaka University's Institute of Education and Research, who is associated with the formulation of the new curriculum, sees the concern about the curriculum as positive. Because, this time the curriculum is not reformed, but completely transformed. As a result, adaptation is also a challenge. These can be adapted step by step.
In the round table meeting moderated by General Secretary of College-University Teachers Association Mohammad Jahangir, teacher leader Mahfuza Khanam, Secretary of Private Educational Institution Teachers and Employees Retirement Facility Board Sharif Ahmad, teacher leader Akmal Hossain spoke at various levels.