The government revealed its decision to raise primary education level up to class eight on 18 May 2016. The education minister said in this regard. “We’ve decided to extend the primary level up to class eight and a summary of the decision will be sent to the Prime Minister soon.Are we prepared to extend primary education up to class eight now?
Upgrading primary up to eight will seriously create teacher crisis along with many administrative problems. Teacher training and teacher administration are also very important factors. How these things will
be managed is not clear
Masum Billah
The government revealed its decision to raise primary education level up to class eight on 18 May 2016. The education minister said in this regard. Weve decided to extend the primary level up to class eight and a summary of the decision will be sent to the Prime Minister soon.
The activities up to class eight will come under Primary and Mass Education Ministry. This is a one-of-its-kind decision in the history of the countrys education system. The decision was made in a meeting of National Education Policy Implementation Committee at the ministry. The minister said replying to a query whether the students will sit for both the PSC and JSC examinations, Nahid said, There has been no decision yet in this regard and the Primary and Mass Education Ministry will take the decision later. Primary and Mass Education Minister Mostafizur Rahman, Dhaka University Vice Chancellor AAMS Arefin Siddique, Dr Khaliquzzaman and high officials concerned of the ministry were, among others, present at the meeting held with Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid in the chair.
The decision has been taken in accordance with the 2010 National Education Policy, said the education minister adding that the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education will now deal with issues of education up to the eighth grade. It is a major decision in the history of the countrys education system Nahid told the media. Earlier in 2009, the National Education Policy Formulation Committee submitted the National Education Policy to the government with the recommendations of extending the primary education level up to class eight and secondary level up to class twelve. The education ministry would not give any new permission to any school for starting academic activities of classes-six to eight. The primary education ministry would do that. Education up to class-eight will be the basic education for Bangladeshis. We want to ensure education for all up to this level so that the students can acquire skills and competence of a certain level. The move would reduce the risk of drop out the education minister said.He hoped that the decision would be fully implemented by the end of 2018.
The following complexities will surface to implement the decision. Some schools impart education from class-one to ten while others from class-one to five and class-six to twelve. Besides, the government has to prepare a new curriculum for the primary level, create new posts of teachers and allocate additional funds. The primary education ministry would sit to form committees to devise the new curriculum and settle the issues related to different schools.
Currently, around 63,000 government primary schools across the country provide education up to class-five while around 19,000 secondary schools up to class-ten. Of the 19,000 institutions, 2,381 junior secondary schools provide education from class six to eight. These schools will now go under the jurisdiction of the primary education ministry. The primary terminal exams were introduced in 2010 as per the cabinets decision and its approval is needed to abolish the exams. According to the education policy of 2010 it was made clear that primary education would be up to class eight and in the financial year 2011-12 initiative was taken regarding this matter but six years have elapsed with no initiative to implement the decision. We again suddenly came to learn the decision to extend primary education up to class eight on 18 May 2016.
At present primary education which is up to five is free and compulsory. But the students who get enrolled in class six are to pay their tuition fee till class ten. What will happen to the students of six, seven and eight? Will they have to pay their tuition fees or not must be made clear.
Developing curriculum up to class five in the light of new education policy has been completed by this time. But in the secondary level it has not been done. It has not been decided whether the curriculum of two levels namely primary and junior high school will be bridged up or to be followed separately. NCTB formed a committee for extended primary education curriculum which opined that new curriculum need to be developed for six, seven and eight as the curriculum of these classes has been developed keeping in mind the SSC examination. Situation analysis is necessary which was supposed to be done by primary education directorate. After getting their opinion NCTB will start developing new curriculum, textbooks and learning materials but the directorate has not yet sent it to the NCTB.
According to the decision the public examination of class eight including madras education boards will conduct and primary education directorate will coordinate the whole affair. The approval of teaching, academic recognition, opening subject, class and division, MPO enlistment, new curriculum and teacher guide preparation will be done under the primary and mass education ministry. Now 2381 junior secondary educational institutions will go under primary and mass education ministry. Out of these institutions 553 are MPO enlisted and the number of students in these institutions is 5 lakh 17 thousand 550 and teachers 19 thousand 240. In 2013 education year in 503 upazials 596 primary schools were upgraded up to class six. It was decided that in these schools class seven and eight would be opened gradually. These schools faced problems as they have been run by primary education directorate but they had to sit for the JSC examinations from education ministry.
We could not have addressed the issue of quality which has been a big issue for many years. Now upgrading primary up to eight will seriously create teacher crisis along with many administrative problems. Teacher training and teacher administration are also very important factors. How these things will be managed is not clear. The experience regarding the performance and administration of the schools which were upgraded in 2013 up to class eight must have been discussed and let the nation know. Our limited experience says that the performance and administration of these schools dont show a good shape. Extending secondary education up to grade twelve is also related to this decisions but no such thing was decoded clearly.
We needed to have a piloting and its result must have been made available to the nation. Any quick, emotional and political decision may not bring expected outcome.
The writer is an educationistEmail: [email protected]
