ED: Towards a higher standard of education

Education Minister Dr Dipu Moni has recently said that new ideas and concepts are the only way to take the country’s higher education forward. Such remarks come on the heels of radical moves from her ministry that aims to put the quality of Bangladeshi education on par with global standards. 

The science of education and the shaping of young minds for a prosperous future is still a relatively new field of study -- with thorough research as to what works and what does not, countries around the world have been changing and evolving their curricula as new findings emerge. 

But globally, there will always be differences between regions: The curricula of Nordic countries greatly differ from those of North American countries. In our own country, the standard curriculum has been changed a number of times, but the changes have all been rather limited up until now. 

Now, with the forward-looking philosophy of the government, we can rest assured that we are at least thinking of correcting course. Is the current strategy flawed? Maybe. Are there things they can and should do better? Definitely. But the fact remains, we are making some very important first steps. 

After years of struggling with a mediocre system where the number of graduates is at an all-time high and the number of skilled workers is at an all-time low, it would do us good to take some time, and think through our entire education strategy as we move into the future. 

If we succeed to moving towards a higher standard of education in schools, our nation’s future will have a strong foundation. The rest, it is reasonable to hope, will follow.