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In response to a debate over the standards of education at the secondary level, the Ministry of Education began a process to improve the quality and as part of the effort the ministry in May last year organized a workshop in Dhaka where leading educationists pointed out that the curriculum and textbooks of secondary education were too difficult and complex making scopes for the students to turn to guidebooks and private tuitions. The ministry held another workshop in Cox's Bazar in November 2016 where education experts who attended it suggested to make textbooks simpler, dropping a few subjects at Secondary School Certificate level and hold public exams with unified question papers. In the light of the expert opinions, the ministry in January this year formed two committees comprising academicians to review curriculum and modify some textbooks. This can be said a laudable step on the part of the ministry. We find the names of the writers in the NCTB textbooks who belong to either NCTB or teachers of government colleges inviting big questions for many. When the national level education experts will give their input and get directly involved in developing and modifying the textbooks, the number of questions regarding the standard will really get narrow. On modification of secondary level textbooks
People have the expectation for long to get the textbooks developed by noted educationists of the country and under the guidance of university teachers and education researchers
Masum Billah
In response to a debate over the standards of education at the secondary level, the Ministry of Education began a process to improve the quality and as part of the effort the ministry in May last year organized a workshop in Dhaka where leading educationists pointed out that the curriculum and textbooks of secondary education were too difficult and complex making scopes for the students to turn to guidebooks and private tuitions. The ministry held another workshop in Coxs Bazar in November 2016 where education experts who attended it suggested to make textbooks simpler, dropping a few subjects at Secondary School Certificate level and hold public exams with unified question papers. In the light of the expert opinions, the ministry in January this year formed two committees comprising academicians to review curriculum and modify some textbooks. This can be said a laudable step on the part of the ministry. We find the names of the writers in the NCTB textbooks who belong to either NCTB or teachers of government colleges inviting big questions for many. When the national level education experts will give their input and get directly involved in developing and modifying the textbooks, the number of questions regarding the standard will really get narrow.
The government has decided to change and modify the subjects include - Bangla Literature, English for Today, Bangladesh and Global Studies, Bangladesh and World Civilization, mathematics, higher mathematics, general science, physics, chemistry, biology, economics and accounting. The education minister said We want to make the textbooks simpler so that students find those easier to learn. Besides, an effort is on to bring down the number of textbooks so that students of different classes can be relieved of unnecessary study burden. We know the students of class five read five to six books that increase into thirteen in number in class six. Government has formed a committee who works on it and the work has advanced quite a lot. Part of it, Physical Education and Drawing will not be included in the public examinations rather students will be evaluated on the basis of their performance in the class. With a view to making the curriculum time tasted, modern and student friendly the change and modification are taking place.
People have the expectation for long to get the textbooks developed by noted educationists of the country and under the guidance of university teachers and education researchers, not by some NCTB people or just college teachers who hardly have any research experience or any exposure to education of global level. It is known to us that college teachers hardly participate in any international education seminar, symposiums and related to any scholarly publication. Their promotion depends on the length of service and some other things which dont prove academic. We cannot expect textbooks with genuine quality and child friendly from them. Of course, there must have be some exceptions. The ministry has probably taken the thing into consideration and the distribution of modifying textbooks has been made thus. Shyamoli Nasrin Chowdhury, former principal of Udayan Higher Secondary School will be leading a team to modify the textbook of Bangla Literature while Prof Syed Monzoorul Islam English for Today.
Dhaka University teachers prof MM Akash and prof Md, Akhtaruzzaman are working to modify economics and Bangladesh and Global Studies textbooks, and prof Tasliam Begun former chairman of Dhaka Board is in charge of changing the textbooks of Bangladesh and World Civilization. Prof Muhammad Zafar Iqbal and Prof Mohammad Kaikobad are given the responsibility to modify mathematics, higher mathematics, and general science, Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Prof Mizanur Rahman of Dhaka University is working to modify accounting book.
The areas secondary level education will undergo change and reform are--- (i) modernization of curriculum (ii) lessening the burden of textbooks (iii) to lessen the size of the book (iv) lessening the number of books (v) lessening the number of public examinations (vi) evaluating the students through performance in some subjects in the internal examinations in the schools (vii) reformation of examinations (viii) minimizing the discrimination of awarding marks in the examination scripts. The education minister announced that the government had introduced standardization of answer scripts in public examinations with a view to brining discipline in the evaluation system. The process was introduced in the SSC exams in February this year. During the exams students were provided with model answers and a mark scheme to check the papers. The initiative was taken following a research conducted by Bangladesh Examination Development Unit (BEDU). Different examiners gave different marks to same answer scripts. The head examiners developed a standard model of answers and a mark scheme on the basis of discussions. The ministry also provided training to the head examiners in evaluating answer scripts as per model answers. This is an area where a significant amount of effort needs to be given. There are many new examiners, inexperienced, whimsical and angry examiners who actually dont know how to evaluate the examination scripts. However, the national level of public examination results depends on these kind of examiners at the cost of irreparable loss to many brighter students.
Those who dont deserve to obtain even 50 percent marks get the 80 percent marks. Again, those who deserve higher grades get a minimum grade because of the misery of the teachers mind. These discriminatory things must be bridged at any cost. This is good to learn that Bangladesh Examination Development Unit (BEDU) has conducted a research on this issue. On the basis of their research results the government is going to bring about change in evaluation system as well which we cannot but appreciate. We cannot expect to see a sea change overnight in this area but the genuine effort and will of the government make us hopeful.
The writer is an educationist Email:masumbillah65@gmail.com
