Lets strengthen our education system
By Toufik Ahmed
At present, we are facing many questions regarding our education system and the quality of our education, which is making us very much disappointed.
The major question is: Is the quality of education falling?
On this issue, other questions are appearing like: What are the causes of the fall? Who or what are responsible? Is the problem in the syllabus or curriculum? Are the teachers responsible? Or, is the fault of the educational institutions? Is it society? The government? If the quality of education is not deteriorating, then why are such questions coming up frequently?
Lets start at the very beginning, at the primary level. Whether it is a
public primary school or an expensive private one, often English-medium, the children are not getting a fair deal. The basics of literacy and numeracy need to be taught perfectly from the very start, but even that is lacking. As a result, a large number of graduates and even Masters degree holders across Bangladesh can hardly construct a legible sentence, let alone spell correctly, all because they never got the basics right.
In government schools, the teachers by and large are overworked
and underpaid, so they resort to coaching outside of school hours.
It is no secret that they do not make much effort in the classroom, so as to make sure that the students come to them for private tuition. It is much the same in private schools, particularly the English-medium ones, where in general, the teachers are paid better. But who can resist the lure of an extra buck or two?
The problem is that this twisted system of education has become accepted as the norm. The complacence is unnerving. Creativity has been flung to the winds. Whatever little creativity the child may have within himself or herself, is deftly nipped in the bud.
It is the same with universities. A university is known by the quantity and quality of its research, and in that regard, Bangladeshs stand is almost nil. No wonder none of our universities features on any global list of top institutions, not even in the top 100.
But what can you expect when the teachers are busy with politics, in every facet of their profession? It is no secret that appointments are made based on political affiliation, and meritocracy is a thing of the past. Public university teachers, much like their counterparts in schools, shirk their duties to take classes at private universities that have sprung up all over the country. Quantity has long overtaken quality.
Now, our education authorities appear pleased that textbooks are published on time _ no matter the quality of the contents; and that the success rates in public exams are enviably high. But that is not education. Education must produce a whole person _ in knowledge, in morality and in creativity.
Meanwhile, technical education in our country is neglected and somewhat looked down on, yet it is a vital key to employment and economic emancipation. It is better for a young person with a vocation to get a job at the end of the day, without having to run from pillar to post with a bunch of A grades in their pocket, facing interviews armed with no real knowledge or confidence.
Another gaping hole in our education system is science. Science is so very important in todays world where developed countries have literally reached the stars. We have the potential. So many of the scientists in international institutions par excellence are of Bangladeshi origin. Yet back home, there is a vacuum.
Not everyone is expected to be an Albert Einstein or a Mark Zuckerberg, but at least our educated populace should be more than faceless robots, with no capacity of thinking outside the textbook. They must be individuals with at least a modicum of intellect and moral ethos. Instead, we are mass producing men and women from a malfunctioning education industry.
To end on a more positive note, despite all the setbacks in the education system, our young generation is still our dream. They are doing well and you will even find them in the top-ranking institutions of the world. So, one can only imagine what our bright boys and girls could achieve if given a decent education in keeping with the advanced world.
Education is the backbone of a nation, lets strengthen ours.
The writer is student of International Relations, Rajshahi University.
