Basic change in Nat’l Edn Policy likely: Pry edn up to Class VIII, Secondary Class XII

The National Education Policy Formulation Committee will submit Wednesday the much-awaited draft report prescribing extension of the primary education level up to class VIII and secondary to class XII, among other basic changes in the country’s outworn education system.
Headed by National Professor Kabir Chowdhury, the team of experts will submit its report to the Education Minister at the ministry at 11.30 am. It was actually supposed to be submitted on August 3.
Since the independence of Bangladesh, successive governments have formed the following panels: Qudrat-e-Khuda Education Commission 1972, Mofiz Uddin Education Commission 1988, Shamsul Haque Education Committee 1997, Dr MA Bari Commission 2002, Mohammad Moniruzzaman Mia Commission 2003, and the National Education Policy Formulation Committee 2009.
“The New National Education Policy will make a basic change to the education system,” co-chair of the committee Dr Quazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad said.
He told UNB that the committee has consulted various organizations, institutions and stakeholders concerned in finalizing the report on the recommendations.
The present Awami League-led Grand Alliance government formed the 16-member committee on April 8 to review the report of the Shamsul Haque Education Committee 1997 to formulate a modern national education policy in line with the report of the Qudrat-e-Khuda Education Commission 1974.
The panel held its first meeting on May 3 and co-opted two more members into the committee.
Educationists said different governments, after assuming power, had formed education commissions but their recommendations were not incorporated into the education system-or were shelved in the ministry.
According to sources at the Education Ministry, the Qudrat-e-Khuda Education Commission was formed in 1972 with leading educationist and scientist Dr Qudrat-e-Khuda at its head. The commission submitted its report to the government in May 1974.
They said the Qudrat-e-Khuda Commission report reflected the fundamentals of the newly framed constitution of Bangladesh. But, due to some unavoidable circumstances, the implementation of the recommendations of the report was delayed.
Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid said the government would implement the education policy during its tenure.

Courtesy of The New Nation