Technical education to be made mandatory from Grade Six: Mahdi Amin

Prime Minister's Education Adviser Mahdi Amin today (8 June) said the government plans to make technical and vocational education compulsory from Grade Six in order to make the country's education system skill-based and employment-oriented.

"New initiatives are being undertaken to develop students' creativity, morality, sportsmanship, cultural awareness, and entrepreneurial skills," he told a press conference at the Secretariat on various activities in education sector.

Education Minister Dr. A N M Ehsanul Hoque Milon, State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj, senior government officials, heads of various directorates, and National University vice chancellor were present at the event.

Mahdi said Bangladesh's education system will be restructured in such a way that students can acquire practical skills needed for real life rather than relying solely on academic certificates.

 "We want students to advance not only through examination results and certificates but also through sports, culture, leadership, technology, and practical skills," he said.

He said several important subjects are being incorporated into the new curriculum as part of broader education reforms. 

These include sports education, cultural education, technical and vocational education, and a new subject "Learning with Happiness", he said adding that through these subjects, students will be taught moral values, civic responsibility, social behavior, and practical life skills.

"Learning with Happiness" subject will teach morality, values, responsibility, and the qualities needed to become good citizens, he mentioned.

"We plan to introduce sports as a separate subject. Cultural studies will also be included in the curriculum," said Mahdi.

He said greater emphasis would also be placed on learning a third language in line with global trends. 

Through an expanded chapter within the existing educational structure, students will have opportunities to strengthen their international communication skills, he said.

Regarding the new curriculum, Mahdi said introducing a completely new curriculum is a long-term process. 

After assuming office, the government had only three to four months to prepare and print new textbooks, making it impossible to implement all changes at once, he said, adding that however, the ongoing reform process will be expanded further next year.

He said the government plans to provide a large number of tablets to primary and secondary school students over the next few years.

"We will need approximately 1.4 million tablets. This is a major project for primary and secondary students, and plans for it have been included in the upcoming fiscal year's budget," he said.

Mahdi also highlighted various government initiatives to promote sports and cultural development among students. 

He said more than 2.2 million students participated in this year's Primary School Gold Cup Football Tournament, describing the combined participation of boys and girls as a significant achievement in the country's sporting history.

"Through the football tournament, we want to instill discipline, teamwork, leadership, and self-confidence among children. Competitions are being held from the union level up to the national level, and the national final is planned for June 20," he said.

He also announced the launch of a national programme titled 'Startup, Science Project and Innovation Idea Showcasing' to encourage scientific thinking and innovation among students. 

Under the initiative, students from secondary and higher educational institutions will have opportunities to present innovative solutions to local and national challenges, he said.

"Students who come up with strong innovative ideas will be provided with seed funding. We want young people to grow as entrepreneurs and contribute to the country's development," he said.

Speaking about the expansion of technical education, he said vocational education would be established as an integral part of mainstream education. 

To achieve this, national skills competitions, career fairs, and direct employment opportunities will be created.

"In our view, technical education should become a respected educational pathway. Arrangements will be made so that students can access employment opportunities directly from educational institutions," he said.

He also announced plans to distribute one sapling to every student under the 'One Student, One Tree' programme to promote environmental conservation.

As part of the government's five-year initiative to plant 250 million trees, all educational institutions across the country will be involved in the programme, he said.