Govt bets big on transformation of education sector

 

Various types of steps taken to turn people of the country into skilled and educated human resources, aiming to attain the developing country status by 2024

The government plans to spend Tk2,836.96 billion for the education sector over the next three fiscal years under a mid-term plan, as it has given utmost importance to building skilled manpower to be equipped with modern knowledge of science and technology.

Of the total amount, Tk857.62 billion has been earmarked for the 2020-21 fiscal year while Tk942.80 billion for FY2021-22 and Tk1,036.54 billion for FY2022-23.

The allocation for the education sector was Tk475.74 billion in FY2017-18 followed by Tk662.73 billion in FY2018-19 and Tk770.38 billion in FY2019-20.

According to an official document, the government has taken various types of steps for turning all the people of the country into skilled and educated human resources, aiming to attain the ‘developing country’ status for Bangladesh by 2024.

With that view in mind, the government is taking various projects and programs, which are contributing to the development of an inclusive quality education system for all.

The document says the government has taken initiatives to expand and modernize the existing education system through developing new infrastructures, distribution of free textbooks, flourishing IT-based education and distribution of food among school children.

The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, meanwhile, has taken steps for increasing the number of teachers, the continuation of stipends, encouraging the use of ICT in education-related activities.

Under the mid-term plan, the government will give priority to setting up of ICT-based community learning and skill development training centres, distribution of IT materials in every school, the introduction of multimedia facilities and strengthening online monitoring systems.

The government is already implementing a “Secondary Education Development Programme” for the development of the secondary education system in the country.

Under this program, the government has taken steps to expand infrastructures and set up new ones for enhancing the capacity of secondary and higher secondary education.

According to the document, it also has taken a move for setting up upazila training and resource centres, expanding MPO scheme in private schools, providing scholarships for extraordinary students, and arranging trainings for teachers under the Integrated Education Information System Programme.

More importantly, the document says, the government has given importance to job-oriented technical and vocational education under the Madrasah and Vocational Education Board.

In this regard, the document mentions, computer or technical education has been made compulsory alongside organizing competitions to recognize performance and skills.

Some 329 upazilas will have technical schools and colleges with the existing 100 technical schools and colleges, setting up polytechnic institutes exclusively for girls in four divisional cities and setting up four engineering universities in four divisions.

The Science and Technology Ministry is implementing various research and development programs under which there will be National Institute of Biotechnology, Nuclear Medical Physics Institutes with three ultramodern laboratories, and Institute of Mining, Mineralogy, Meteorology in Joypurhat with three ultramodern laboratories for conducting research on mineral resources.

According to the official document, setting up of cyclotron and pet-CT and institute of nuclear medicine physics have been put in the priority list.