Vow to resist unified education system

Leaders of the Jote said they would hold rally and bring out procession on Dhaka University (DU) campus at 11:00am on December 1. They will also arrange a view-exchange meeting with teachers, students and guardians at DU Shaheed Munir Chowdhury Auditorium at 4:30pm on December 3 and hold protest rallies at DU campus and all of the district levels on December 11.

Without changing the madrasa and English medium education systems, the move to change the secondary education system will be a big cheat for the nation, leaders said at a press conference at DU Mudur Canteen.

They threatened to call student strike if their demands, including cancellation of the proposed unified education system and starting of one channel science based education system ditching the three education systems (General-Madrasa-English medium), are not met within December 11.

Without consulting the teachers, students, guardians, researchers and educationists, the education ministry has taken the initiative to make the major change in the secondary education system, leaders said warning that it will degrade the country's standard of education.

"Our new generation will face disaster if the plan is materialised as the new system downgrades one third of the science syllabus, whereas in addition to religious studies, another language (Arabic, Sanskrit or Pali) has been made compulsory, although religious education is not compulsory in any other country of the world except Afghanistan," said Taslima Aktar, president of Chhatra Federation while reading out the written statement.

Bangladesh Chhatra Union (BCU) President Baki Billah said class teachers' authority to provide 30 per cent marks will open a floodgate for commercialisation of education where poor students will suffer most.

The authorities do not have preparation for the new system and the teachers are not properly informed or trained, Mosharaf Hossain, general secretary of Samajtantrik Chhatra Front, adding that a section of education ministry officials are gobbling around Tk 500 crore in the name of formulating the system.

Samsul Alam Sajjan of BCU, Jakaria Joni of Bangladesh Chhatra Kendra and Khalekujjaman Lipon of Samajtantrik Chhatra Front were present.