The committee for formulation of a national education policy, in a draft report, has recommended raising the nation's mandatory primary education period to eight years from five.
Co-chairman of the committee Khaliquzzaman Ahmad told on Sunday, "The members [of the 18-member committee] have been asked for their opinions on the draft by July 15 and then it will be opened for different professionals to view it before preparing a final report." If the draft is approved, students will attend school up to class eight, instead of the current requirement up to class five, as their primary education. The draft says the primary education duration will be extended up to class six by 2012, to class seven by 2015 and to class eight by 2018. To successfully implement the primary education changes in all existing disciplines, including government, non-government, kindergarten and religious schools, the draft recommends boosting the existing primary school infrastructure across the country, increasing the number of teachers and providing essential funding. It also recommends changes in the primary education curriculum, with compulsory study in Bangla, moral education, Bangladesh studies, mathematics, climate change, science and IT, among other subjects. Different disciplines will also be able to include their own study programme with the accompanying compulsory studies. Further, English medium schools will be able to operate, but they will require government approval, the draft says. English language will be taught in class one and two as extra courses and become compulsory in class three and onward. There will also be compulsory religion and moral studies offered to students from class three. The last three classes of primary education, six, seven and eight, will teach vocational and IT studies so those students who will not further pursue education will learn job skills. The draft also calls for public examinations on completion of class eight studies, prior to acceptance into secondary education. Education minister Nurul Islam Nahid, announcing the committee headed by national professor Kabir Chowdhury on April 8, tasked with forming 'National Education Policy 2009', said the government was seeking to introduce a unified and modern education system in the country. Initially the committee had 16 members, including eminent writer and science teacher Muhammad Zafar Iqbal and economist Kazi Kholiquzzaman. Later, two other members were added to the committee.
.jpg)