Bangladesh’s new curriculum wins praises. Are lecturers prepared for the problem?
Educators have welcomed the curriculum deliberate by the federal government, however they see challenges in its implementation and doubt how a lot Bangladesh is prepared for the brand new system.
The rollout of the brand new curriculum will start in 2022 and by 2025 college students will expertise a brand new world of education without exams as much as Class III, Schooling Minister Dipu Moni mentioned earlier this month.
The federal government has added extra classwork assessments with no distinctions within the streams of science, arts and enterprise research in courses IX and X.
In step with the definition of the brand new nationwide curriculum, college students will probably be assessed in courses and have a complete analysis.
“Studying will probably be enjoyable. The burden of topics and textbooks will probably be much less,” Dipu Moni mentioned.
The brand new system goals to wean college students off rote studying and focuses on class actions — a method to deepen the understanding of topics.
Consultants say the modifications are a lot wanted for a more practical and reality-based schooling system, however, the authorities wanted extra evaluation earlier than bringing massive modifications.
REDUCING EXAMS?
Professor Serajul Islam Choudhury welcomed the scrapping of exams, saying the transfer will scale back strain on college students and prices.
“It’s mistaken to make the scholars concentrate on checks, guidebooks and personal teaching within the title of public exams.”
Father Hemanta Plus Rosario, principal of Notre Dame School in Dhaka, says studying with lowered exams will probably be enjoyable for the kids.
In his phrases, Major Schooling Completion or PEC exams for Class V and Junior Faculty Certificates or JSC checks for Class VIII “hampered” research. “These exams gave rise to personal teaching. Little kids needed to take massive exams. Without these exams, loads of time could be saved and be used within the classroom.”
“The kids develop up in unhealthy competitors to turn into first, second or third. This may go away now, however they are going to be evaluated,” mentioned Shahan Ara Begum, principal of Motijheel Excellent Faculty and School.
Mariam Begum, a professor of Dhaka College’s Institute of Schooling and Analysis, additionally sees the scrapping of exams for as much as Class III as an excellent resolution, however she thinks the abolishment of the JSC exams will have an effect on the profession of many college students in rural areas. “Many can not proceed their research after Class VIII. They’d have been in a position to get a job with the JSC certificates.”
SCRAPPING STREAMS
Father Hemanta mentioned the blurring of the streams for Class IX and X is an efficient aspect of the brand new system, however making the syllabus continues to be a problem, particularly for grades XI and XII, as a result of they get just one and a half years to finish school schooling earlier than Larger Secondary Certificates exams.
He believes the time just isn’t sufficient for the HSC college students of science streams if they don’t have powerful fundamental data of science.
“All different nations have 4 years for greater secondary schooling, however it’s solely two years in our nation. The federal government ought to give it some thought.”
Prof Mariam mentioned the “gaps” college students endure throughout the transition to greater schooling could widen as a consequence of “an absence of topics in grades IX and X”.
Principal Shahan Ara supported the transfer to get rid of the streams, saying it should scale back strain on the scholars. “We pressure the kids to review science and turn into docs contemplating it as a difficulty of status. However that is reducing their data of the actual world, social sciences, geography.”
“Once they obtain poor grades in SSC, they select the commerce stream, or change to arts from commerce. Now after finding out in Class IX and X, the scholars will themselves perceive which path they need to take.”
WHY CHANGES?
Prof Serajul thinks the federal government ought to have made it clear that it had been “experimenting” with the schooling system. He additionally believes the modifications ought to have been primarily based on public opinion reasonably than by a bureaucratic channel.
He questioned the choice to launch PEC and JSC checks, after which scrapping them.
“Now we haven’t obtained a reason why the exams are scrapped. That is public schooling. So, the individuals ought to know the explanations behind holding additional exams, and why these are scrapped now.”
“Was the earlier examination coverage mistaken? Such experiments with schooling will not be proper.”
CHALLENGES
Prof Mariam sees challenges in executing the curriculum. “We’re altering the curriculum and the analysis system. Our faculties and lecturers prepare for the brand new challenges?”
Principal Shahan Ara can be uncertain concerning the implementation of the plan. She mentioned the artistic studying system, launched around a decade in the past, has not truly been helpful. “Many lecturers within the rural areas don’t even perceive the system.”
“The execution of the modifications would be the greatest problem at a time once we couldn’t implement the earlier curriculum in so a few years. It is going to be unrealistic if we predict that we can actualize larger modifications in instructing and studying simply now,” mentioned Prof Mariam.
She thinks it could have been simpler for the lecturers and college students to adapt to the brand new system if the modifications had been introduced in phases.
