New policy to end discrimination in primary education

Says education policy formulation committee chief
Education Policy Formulation Committee Chairman Kabir Chowdhury yesterday said the government wants to introduce a uni-track curriculum for students at least up to class five.
“We would like to eliminate the existing discrimination at primary level education,” committee Chairman Kabir Chowdhury told reporters after its first meeting.
On April 8, a 16-member committee headed by National Professor Kabir Chowdhury was formed to formulate a modern national education policy in line with the Qudrat-e-Khuda Education Commission-1974 after reviewing the report of Shamsul Haque Education Commission.
The committee, 25 days into its formation, held its first meeting yesterday at the National Academy for Educational Management (NAEM) in the city with Kabir Chowdhury in the chair.
Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid who also attended the meeting said, “We want to remove disparities prevailing in primary education in the country.”
He also said the government would like to implement the new policy in the shortest possible time.
Nahid urged the committee members to submit their recommendations in due time.
The committee chairman said different types of primary education in the country are creating divisions in the society.
“We have to think of introducing the one-track system of education across the country,” Kabir Chowdhury said adding that they would review the previous reports.
Similar curriculum will create social harmony and a sense of unity among us, said the national professor expressing hope that the committee would be able to formulate a new policy within three months.
Dr Quazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad was made co-chairman of the committee to assist the chairman.
Two more members — Bangladesh Open University (BOU) Vice-chancellor Dr RIM Aminur Rashid and Jahangirnagar University English Professor Dr Shaheen Kabir were co-opted into the committee, the minister said.
Among other members, Prof Dr Muhammad Zafar Iqbal, Dr Quazi Shahidullah, Principal Kazi Faruque Ahmed, Dr Shaheen Kabir and Education Secretary Syed Ataur Rahman were present at the meeting.
The committee will submit its report within 90 days, meeting sources said.

Courtesy of The Daily Star