The Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid has recently raised a very important issue on science education while he was speaking on ICT in an event held at capital city, Dhaka. According to his statement the young generation is gradually losing interest in science education. He said it will not be good for the education sector and he urged all to attract new generation to science education for building a technology-based prosperous nation. His statements are timely, encouraging and inspiring.
As an academic scientist, I believe making comments on his statements will not create any negative impression on scientists. The first initiative should be to identify the reasons of lack of interest of new generation in science. Once the reason is identified, the solution becomes easier. The education minister has surely identified the reasons.
It is worth mentioning that the primary, secondary and higher secondary institutes are mainly based in villages but the higher educational institutes including universities are mostly based in the capital city. The childreen particularly remote children are neglected and disadvantaged. Remoteness is one of the main reasons of lack of interest in science. Frankly speaking, there is none to tell them why to study science and what benefits they might get through science learning. But there are people to oppose any initiative if taken on science education. In taking an initiative on scientific development in one remote village through establishing a technical institute, I have bitter experience in last one decade. This can be termed as a “project of scientific advancement fighting against the society, community, government and almost all” except few young boys and girls. This is a risky project as to fight against all. The most dangerous message -- these activities have no recognition from any corner and it brings no reward even if it is fully successful.
From statement of the respected minister it seems the government has good intention of science-technology development targeting creation of digital Bangladesh. Before going to invest money on science and technology project, the respected minister is requested to have a clear picture of science/technolgy position outside the capital city. Thousands of science literate boys, girls, men and women are anxiously passing their time sitting idle. They don’t know where to utilize their scientific knowledge. Scientists/science literate people are seriously disadvantaged and neglected in the country. Scientific activities have been captured by the non-scientists and false scientists. As a result we have been thrown away from the main street to the drain.
We are lucky - our education minister is a scientifically literate person and SCIENTIST according to his educational background and the definition of a scientist. He can easily identify the gaps and lacks in scientific activities. There are thousands of dedicated and well educated persons with scientific knowledge and experience. They want to utilize their expertise and money for the national, regional and local development in scientific fields. They need a congenial environment and recognition of their works.
Instead of searching foreign aids, it is better to empower young generation with science and technology utilizing national resources. Neither money nor power alone can develop a scientific nation. The national scientific human resources must be given respects if scientific development is expected nation wide.
Recognition of the Scientifically Important Persons (SIP) must work like the magic tool. Everybody needs inspiration, recognition and recommendation for doing the social work. Recognizing the national SIP will cost nothing from the government, but they will buy or achieve unlimited supports and respects from the people particulary who are linked with science and who like science.
It is also learnt from his speech that the government is going to take initiative to observe a science education week across the country to encourage the students in science. He has advised the teachers to make their classes interesting so that students would understand science related issues easily. It will also prove a very fruitful initiative if rural schools and colleges given opportunities to show their efficiencies and share experience in the event.
There is no alternative to improving quality of education to make the new generation competent citizens of the country – it is absolutely right. In doing so, the new generation must be given opportunities to know where they are and what resources they possess. The educational curriculum at different levels from primary to tertiary must be designed based on our national resources and in context of Bangladesh. Maintaining the standard of education must be given priority as advised by the education minister.
The minister hopes the present National Education Policy will help bring a qualitative change in education sector and he said, “We should expand ICT related education for all students”. This is surely the expectation of all academics like the author of this article.
In case of expansion of ICT related education, my suggestion is to take initiative from the remote levels. Though we are dependent on imported technologies in the communication sectors and other scientific areas, we can start using the schools in remote villages as the platforms. The children in remote areas become technologically literate in traditional and cultural ways. They may be called “the traditional science and technology literate human resources”. They pick up modern science and technology knowledge and vocational trade subjects very quickly and they enjoy science learning that the present government wants to establish. The recent SSC result of 100% success has proved the statement of the author. This is the output of 15 years of research on children of a remote village where a primary, secondary and vocational schools worked as the platform to prove the statement.
কোন মন্তব্য নেই:
একটি মন্তব্য পোস্ট করুন