The majority of educational reforms following the independence were met with controversy. The composition of the commission, education policy, and partial curriculum changes were among the topics that occasionally separated the participants in different conversations. There have been a lot of debates and criticisms regarding the new curriculum lately. Parents, ministries, and experts all differ from one another. According to some, it will almost completely ruin the country's educational system. Yet, as a result of the fourth industrial revolution, educationalists believed that this curricular change was crucial. Experts believe that to put an end to the discussion, a significant national push is needed to seek the advice of academics in the education field.
Abul Kasem Fazlul Haque, a retired professor at Dhaka University, told the Khaborer Kagoj that the controversy will be reduced if we work with the teachers concerned with the implementation of the curriculum.
"A seminar or workshop should be held with all education experts. There should be speedy reform work with everyone's opinion. Then there will be no more debate," said Dr. Syed Manjurul Islam, Professor Emeritus of Dhaka University, regarding dispute resolution.
In addition, Kazi Khalikuzzaman Ahmed, the economist and chairperson of Education Watch, said at a recent event, "There will be some changes, refinements, and expansions along the way. It seems that there has been an instability in our education sector due to the result of complete change."
According to the information, several commissions were formed in light of the demands of the ruling group to change the education of the region during the British and Pakistani periods. After independence, a total of five education commissions were formed in the country. Each commission, consisting of experts, submits its detailed report on education to the government. The Qudrat-e-Khuda Education Commission, formed in 1972, emphasized science-based education in line with the four principles of the Constitution. The National Curriculum Outline 2021 was formulated based on the National Education Policy in 2010. A pilot project was conducted in 62 schools to implement this in 2022. Then books are given according to the new curriculum in classes I, II, VI, and VII in 2023. The new books have been given to classes III, IV, VIII, and IX in 2024. This process will be followed next year in classes V and X, class XI in 2026, and class XII in 2027.
A review of the data showed that after the formation of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) in 1983, transformative education was last introduced in 1996, 2012, and 2022. When there is a new curriculum or different types of addition or subtraction in the country, there have been various types of debates. A creative approach was introduced in 2008 to reduce reliance on notes or guides. Then there were various discussions about the notebook and the question paper. The circulation of notebooks has not decreased; on the contrary, notebooks with creative methods have also gained popularity in the market. PEC was introduced at the primary stage in 2009, and the JSC examination was introduced in 2010 for class VIII. Later, it was also dropped due to backlash. The government says that there is no alternative to a new curriculum to build a smart Bangladesh by 2041. However, the issue is still being debated from various sides.
Recently, after the introduction of this new curriculum, there has been criticism from many sides, including parents. They held various programs along with the human chain on various issues, including the examination system, division of departments, educational materials, teamwork, job, and admission test systems. Opinions for and against are presented on social media. The issues raised in various aspects have been given a specific explanation by the NCTB as propaganda. Two books in classes VI and VII were withdrawn due to inconsistency and criticism. However, controversy did not stop, some people were arrested through a general diary and case at the police station. Recently, there has been a debate again about the seventh-grade 'History and Social Science' book on the transgender issue.
The program continues under the banner of teachers, student organizations, and the parents of the university.
Those concerned said that many of the students who dropped out of their previous education went abroad as unskilled workers. Even if the economy advances through them, the journey will become difficult shortly. It has now become necessary to work on creating manpower suitable for the fourth industrial revolution. At the same time, there is a humanitarian crisis in the country. Even unethical methods are being used to get a GPA of 5 in exams. Reading is being completed from school to university through a rote-based examination system. Students cannot be trained to be suitable for the job market. Philosophical writers are not made that way. Students are not being prepared to solve the problems of life. Attempts were made to develop analytical skills in students through the introduction of creative methods, but a major transformation in education was needed.
The son of Professor ATM Samsujjjoha of the Department of Islamic History and Culture at Dhaka University has completed the sixth standard in the new curriculum. He told the Khaborer Kagoj that the curriculum is very good. "Students are learning in a realistic way. However, it is a big challenge to ensure quality teachers and the kind of facilities needed to conduct life-oriented activities in all schools in the country to implement it."
The new curriculum has had an emotional impact on parents. According to them, they themselves read in one way; now the child should be taught in another way. It creates a kind of stress in their mental world. Farhana, a parent, said, "Though the curriculum is good, there are linguistic problems in the textbooks. My son is in class three. But there are many English words in his math book where the word pattern is used."
Curriculum experts say that the curriculum is prepared to create qualified manpower for the country. There are four things to keep in mind. They are intention, content, method, and assessment. The root cause of the controversy may be stumbling over these four issues at different times. If these four issues are relevant at the same time, then there is no room for any kind of controversy. When the interrelationship between the four subjects is weak, the goals of the curriculum cannot be met.
Dr. SM Hafizur Rahman, Professor of Education and Research Institute (IER) of Dhaka University told the Khaborer Kagoj, "We must agree on the objectives of the curriculum. Then there will be no debate. But everyone wants to talk about the curriculum in our country. The new stuff will be a little controversial. This debate should be taken positively and take into account why they are talking. If their words are logical, then they should be taken into account; otherwise, they should be discarded. If we can lay the foundation properly, then there will be no controversy."
Mohammad Tariq Ahsan, professor of the Education and Research Institute at Dhaka University who is involved as a learning expert in the new curriculum, feels that research is needed over time to determine whether a curriculum is good or bad. "You have to understand the structure of the curriculum to give an opinion about it. But the feedback we get is not coming in properly. It is coming based on propaganda, he said.
"We are not getting constructive feedback from those who work on education. But we expect something from them. Criticism is enriching. Now one group is spreading propaganda, and others are talking about it. They are wasting time in this matter, he added.
Curriculum expert Dr. Syeda Tahmina Akhtar, professor of the Education and Research Institute at Dhaka University, told the Khaborer Kagoj "There can be controversy. The rule is to start with everything ready. Now they are launching it as soon as it is ready. Training is underway at the same time. That's the problem. The socio-economic condition is not like that of developed countries in a country like ours. That's why they do it suddenly. It would be better if everything was prepared and then implemented."
"The curriculum was not done suddenly. This is done through research. It should have been done earlier. We are 10 years behind, said Professor Ahmad Obaidus Sattar Bhuiyan, Senior Specialist of NCTB's Curriculum Development and Evaluation Branch.
Professor Farhadul Islam, Chairman of NCTB, told Khaborer Kagoj, "We have taken the views of the stakeholders. We have worked by seeing other countries in the world. We have seen an international dimension while changing curriculum. After that, we made changes."
