Govt focusing on career-oriented education: Shirin Sharmin

The government is emphasising on career oriented education to eliminate unemployment from the country, said Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury on Wednesday.

“Along with that, there is no alternative of ensuring quality education to make country’s development sustainable”, she said while addressing a thematic virtual webinar titled “Achievement, challenges and way forward in Bangladesh’s golden jubilee” as the chief guest.

The programme was jointly organised by CSO Alliance along with Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE), and Dhaka Ahsania Mission.

The government has also taken different positive initiatives for the students who belong to the backward communities in this regard, Dr Shirin stated.

She called upon everyone to work with coordinated approach for making the education sector more effective.

The webinar was joined by around 200 NGO professionals and policymakers involved with the education sector.

Rasheda K Choudhury, convener of CSO Alliance and executive director of CAMPE moderated the whole session where co-moderator Dr M Ehsanur Rahman, executive director of Dhaka Ahsania Mission said CSO alliance has taken up an initiative to launch institutional research on the 50 years of achievement of Bangladesh.

Stating that a silent crisis is prevailing in the education sector, Asif Saleh, Executive Director, BRAC, also co-moderator of the event said, “To fight against this crisis in the education sector, everyone needs to join hands and work together.”

Dr Mostafizur Rahaman, programme manager of CAMPE, presented the key-note in the discussion.

While highlighting different achievements in the education sector during the last 50 years, he said currently the literacy rate is over 75 per cent, which was only 16 per cent just after the independence.

Although the literacy rate has improved significantly, around 25,00,000 students are still out of the schools while one in every five children are dropping out from educational institutes, he said.

Besides, special guest Dr Manzoor Ahmed, professor emeritus of BRAC University, underscored the need of putting national importance on pre-primary education and early childhood education.

Parliament Member Aroma Dutta, Shykh Seraj, director and head of news of Channel I and Dr Qazi Kholiquzzaman Ahmad, chairman of PKSF and chairperson of Education Watch also spoke at the event, among others.