Government plans three-year teacher training, sixfold capacity expansion
The government is planning to extend the duration of primary school teacher training to two-and-a-half to three years to improve the quality of primary education and enhance teachers' professional skills.
It also plans to increase the annual training capacity of Primary Training Institutes (PTIs) six-fold, from around 7,000 to 42,000, to bring teacher training up to international standards.
State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj came up with the plans in an interview with Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) at his office in the Secretariat recently.
In the interview, he spoke in detail about various initiatives to improve primary education, teacher recruitment and promotion, technology use in classrooms, the midday meal programme and government oversight of private and kindergarten schools.
New framework for teacher training
Explaining the planned changes to the existing teacher training system, Hajjaj said the government was developing a new framework to ensure that teachers acquire modern teaching skills instead of remaining in classrooms for extended periods without adequate training.
Under the proposed framework, teachers will initially undergo two months of in-campus training at PTIs before returning to their classrooms. They will then complete the remaining training modules and examinations in phases within a prescribed period of two-and-a-half to three years.
He said the National Academy for Primary Education (NAPE) had nearly finalised a new training module based on the existing one-year training system.
Newly recruited teachers will receive training under this module, spending the first two months at PTIs before returning to classrooms.
They will complete the remaining 10 months of training through a combination of online and offline instruction within the stipulated period.
Hajjaj said the government had also taken an initiative to raise the annual training capacity of PTIs from around 7,000 to 42,000.
To achieve this target, the government may involve education departments of public and private universities alongside PTIs to equip teachers with modern teaching methods.
Teachers at private primary schools and kindergartens will also be brought under quality training programmes, he added.
"At the policy level, we have decided that no teacher will be allowed to remain permanently engaged in classroom teaching without receiving appropriate training," the state minister said.
Midday meals in all government primary schools by 2027
Regarding the midday meal programme, which is a priority initiative to improve school attendance and ensure nutritional security for children, Hajjaj said the programme was currently running in 150 upazilas.
Expansion of the programme to the remaining upazilas had already begun, and a development project proposal was being prepared, he said.
"We hope to ensure nutritious midday meals for all children in every government primary school across the country by 2027," he added.
One teacher, one tablet and digital ecosystem
On the proposed 'One Teacher, One Tablet' and smart classroom initiatives, Hajjaj said the government is working to establish a comprehensive digital ecosystem for classrooms rather than merely distributing electronic devices among teachers.
"With the support of major global technology companies, including Google, we are developing a comprehensive digital ecosystem for classrooms. Tablets for teachers will serve as a key connector in this system," he said.
He also said work was underway, in coordination with the Power Division, to install solar panels and ensure internet bandwidth at primary schools in remote areas without electricity connections.
Head teacher promotions and recruitment of assistant teachers
Regarding around 36,960 vacant head teacher posts across the country, Hajjaj said the legal process concerning promotions to the posts had been completed, and the government was awaiting the final certified copy of the court verdict.
Discussions with the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (BPSC) had already begun, he said, adding that the promotion process would be expedited as soon as the certified copy was received.
Once the promotions were completed, the way would be opened for recruiting a large number of assistant teachers, he added.
Hajjaj said the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) had been instructed to take necessary steps to reduce the burden of excessive textbooks on students, make learning enjoyable through storytelling, and incorporate activities like mathematics and science Olympiads.
The government was also considering special allowances to encourage teachers to work in haor, char and remote hilly areas, as well as residential schools, where necessary, to ease students' difficulties in travelling to school, he added.
