No specialist teachers in govt schools, colleges
Computer studies at secondary and higher secondary levels are being conducted without specialised teachers in the state-run educational institutions.
The government has not yet created any permanent posts for teachers of the discipline at its 570 schools and colleges 15 years into introduction of the subject.
Teachers of other disciplines — mainly physics, chemistry, biology and business studies — with a short course impart lessons at these institutions.
Interestingly, many private schools and colleges, which are run with government subsidy, have permanent posts for this discipline.
Education officials and teachers observe as the government envisages building “Digital Bangladesh”, this is discrimination and neglect towards a subject deemed crucially important for industrial growth and national development.
They say it is quite impossible for a teacher to impart lessons properly with such brief and inadequate training.
The situation is deplorable at upazila levels where teachers seldom use computers for teaching, they add.
“It’s like patching up things with whatever available to impart computer lessons to the students,” says a teacher of a private college in the capital wishing not to be named.
“The syllabus at college level is quite big and it needs sound practical knowledge to impart lessons,” he adds.
Sources in the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) say the government cannot appoint teachers for the discipline due to its complicated system.
They say the personnel structure does not support any post for the discipline. Besides, the authorities concerned also seem to be reluctant to create new posts as no such move has ever been visible.
Since its introduction, computer studies have remained optional — a 100-mark course at secondary level (SSC) and 200-mark course at higher secondary level (HSC).
Around 70 percent of 317 government schools and most of the colleges offer courses in this discipline. Students, especially at the HSC level, are interested to take the course as it helps them score good marks.
At school level students study computer fundamentals including package programmes, visual basic programming, etc, while at college level the students study in two years operating system, input and output, digital logic, visual basic programming, computer architecture, multimedia, internet, networking, etc.
Several students complain that the teachers often face difficulties while imparting the lessons.
“Many times our teachers fail to make us understand the details about what is visual basic programming,” says a student of Satkhira Government College.
“There is no coordination in the class as teachers of several disciplines teach us the subject in two years,” comments another student of Noakhali Government College.
DSHE Director General Prof Noman-ur-Rashid said it would be possible to propose for post creation only when the discipline is made compulsory like English and Bangla.
The discipline had not been given proper importance earlier. As a result, it is being conducted somehow. Many institutions have neither teachers nor computers, Prof Noman added.
“The discipline must be made compulsory with new curriculum, while necessary infrastructure has to be ensured because the government has a plan to build Digital Bangladesh by 2021. After that we can propose to create necessary posts,” the DG added.
Courtesy of The Daily Star
