Sunday, May 05, 2024
Soon after taking oath, Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel told the media that he will make changes in the new curriculum, putting emphasis on innovation and practical knowledge with a view to facing the future world.
The newly inducted minister has already held meetings with different quarters to discuss the issue of changes in the new curriculum.
He also asked the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) to hold a meeting with University Grants Commission (UGC) and Bangladesh Open University (BOU) to take suggestions about standard evaluation.
The NCTB will form an expert committee with the permission from the Education Ministry in this regard soon.
Sources in NCTB, who played a vital role in developing the new curriculum, said they have identified some areas which need changes in the curriculum. The NCTB will share views and make proposals, including reshuffling the evaluation process, reintroducing some exams and adding new books, to the newly appointed education minister soon.
NCTB Chairman Prof Md Farhadul Islam told The Business Post that the new minister wants some changes in the curriculum. “We have also done our research on the curriculum. We will hold a meeting with the minister as soon as possible.”
The sources said there is no mid-term examination in the new curriculum. Now NCTB plans to introduce mid-term examinations for all classes. Even, marks of continuous assessment or evaluation will be reduced. New contents will be added next year.
The chairman said, “We are planning to introduce two more books (optional) for Class IX and X students. A book on higher math will be introduced for the students, who have interest to study science in higher secondary education from next year. And accounting book will be printed for the students, who have interest to study science in higher secondary education.”
“We have to make more contents and train teachers for the changing curriculum. Actually, we need more plans and work as the curriculum change is a vital matter for us. But I hope we can do an excellent job under the leadership of the new minister,” he added.
The education minister said the new curriculum faces many challenges. The main challenge is the assessment method and changes need to be made here. It also needs further adjustments in the new curriculum.
"We want to incorporate skills related to the workplace into our curriculum. This way our students can plan their education based on the subject of the workplace and contribute to the education system," he said.
Experts’ opinions
Professor Emeritus at Brac University Dr Manzoor Ahmed told The Business Post that the move taken by the new education minister to reshuffle the curriculum is positive. “We can improve our curriculum gradually.”
“The new curriculum has been introduced without sufficient training for the teachers and it has already become tough to implement. The new move should be also pragmatic,” he added.
Prof Dr Siddiqur Rahman, former director of Institute of Education and Research at Dhaka University, told the Business Post, “It needs a vast research before reshuffling the new curriculum so that is can be the best one.”
What’s the new curriculum?
The Ministry of Education has been working since 2017 to introduce an outcome-based new curriculum following the developed countries’ education system. And finally, the ministry has partially set a new curriculum for primary and secondary level students since January, 2023.
All students from class VI to X have to study ten common subjects, while SSC examination will be based on the syllabus of class X only. At present, public exam is held on the basis of the syllabuses for class IX and X.
There will be two public examinations in class XI and XII– meaning public examinations will be held at the end of each year. And the final result of Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examination will be published by combining the results of these two examinations.
The new curriculum, featuring major changes in the education system from pre-primary to higher secondary levels, will start experimentally from next year.
In 2023, students of classes I, II, VI and VII received textbooks under the new curriculum. Students of classes III, IV, VIII and IX will get new books from 2024, and 5th and 10th graders will receive new textbooks next year.
The ministry will provide new books to the students of class XI in 2026 and class XII in 2027. As a result, students will sit for SSC examination under the new curriculum from 2026, and HSC exam from 2028.
Students of class I-III will get their results based on their performance in classes. Students of classes IV and V will get 40 per cent marks for Bangla, English, Math and Science subjects on the basis of their performance in classes, while 60 per cent will be determined by annual examinations.
All marks in Physical and Mental Health, and Religion subjects will be based on class performance only.
For students of classes VI-VIII, 60 per cent marks in Bangla, English, Math, Science and Social Sciences subjects will be based on class performance and another 40 per cent will be determined on the basis of their performance in annual exams.
Full marks in subjects, such as Life and livelihood, Science and Technology, Physical and Mental Health, Religion, Arts and Culture, will be given on the basis of class performance.
Students of classes IX and X will get 50 per cent of the marks in Bangla, English, Math, Science and Social Sciences on the basis of the class performance and the remaining 50 per cent marks will be given on the basis of annual and public exams, respectively.
Their full scores in Life and livelihood, Science and Technology, Physical and Mental Health, Religion, Arts and Culture subjects will be determined on the basis of class performance.
For students of class XI and XII, 30 per cent of the marks in all their subjects will be given to class performance and the remaining 70 per cent will be calculated based on their performance in public examinations.
