The issues of gender sensitivity and human values will have to be incorporated in the textbook curriculum so that children can learn to respect women and give them due dignity, speakers at a roundtable said yesterday.
Bringing changes in the curriculum is not enough, mindset of teachers who are the main component to build the nation will also have to be changed, they said and suggested keeping balance of gender in training programmes for teachers.
Stressing the role of families, the speakers said the families will have to take lead to teach their kids about gender equality from home.
Bangladesh Nari Progati Sangha (BNPS) organised the roundtable titled “We want a gender sensitive education system in establishing equality of men and women” at the National Press Club in the city.
The speakers said patriarchal approach still exists in the country though many positive changes have been made in the education system. They suggested exclusion of discriminatory elements from textbooks, which portray women as incapable, inefficient and submissive.
“Both the male and female will have to learn human qualities to make the world alive and the textbooks will have to contain this notion,” said Dr Gitiara Nasrin, professor of Mass Communication and Journalism department of Dhaka University.
“We just speak about equality but do not believe it,” lamented Educationist Dr Anwara Syed Haque. “We have to believe it and start the practice from our families,” she added.
Noted educationist Prof Ajoy Roy said the families will also have to teach more positive attitudes to their kids so that they can overcome any bad accident, which may occur anytime.
Dr Nasim Akhtar Hossain of Jahangirnagar University said an invisible ideology of gender inequality is on in the society, which needs to be unlearned immediately.
She said children will have to be imparted the lesson of gender equality from the beginning so that they can bring a positive change in the society.
Prof Tahera Aktar Jahan, member (curriculum) of the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB), said the government has already reviewed the secondary-level curriculum and incorporated the issues of gender justice there.
“We have included life skill based education involving many practical skills in the curriculum which will be introduced in 2012,” she said.
BNPS Executive Director Rokeya Kabir moderated the roundtable. Prof Syed Anwar Husain, editor of Daily Sun; Abu Sayed Khan, managing editor of Daily Samakal; Shyamol Kanti Gosh, director general of Directorate of Primary Education; Prof Salma Akhter of Dhaka University; and Prof Quazi Farque Ahmed also spoke at the event.
