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ICT based education- Bangladesh perspective September 25, 2008

Posted by bdoza in BANGLADESH, Computer, EDUCATION, GOVERNANCE, TECHNOLOGY.
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I was listening to a TV program the other day. Dr. Shamser Ali, Dr. Kaokobad and another doctorate from an university were discussing the ICT based education with Faridur Reza Sagar of Channel Eye.

The discussion was interesting, informative and thought provoking.

Question arises, in a country like Bangladesh where the number of students in each year is increasing more than the number the universities can accommodate, how ICT could help to provide education to this growing number of students. It is said that in developed countries like USA , the universities including Harvard has on-campus and off-campus students. It is through ICT that the off-campus students keep pace with the curriculum of the universities. The off-campus provision can also create the opportunities for the students to continue studies earning by themselves which is very important from Bangladesh perspective.

Dr. Shamsher Ali who was the founder VC of the Open University in Bangladesh narrated how with help of audio-cassette and video cassette they have started their journey in early nineties, later these were replaced by CD and VCD. They have their own studio to produce all those CDs. Open University is a model of conveying education to an unlimited number of students.

To improve the quality of education, ICT could give tremendous support, Best teachers of different institutes can be utilized to prepare different lectures and after recording, those lectures could be aired and distributed among the students for their individual reading or collective discussion.

Open university also arranges video conferences where the students can directly interact with the teachers. The standard of education in open university may also be good, The recent ranking of 100 best universities of South East Asia where the rank of DU is 62nd, Jawhar Lal Nehru Open University is within 20th of the list. This indicates that Open University also could be the seat of good education.

Regarding the discrepancy between the standard of education between the rural and urban education, it is the ICT which could change the gap. They urge to provide computers to all the schools gradually. The shortage of Math and English teachers also could be lessened by the support of ICT. But Dr. Kaokobad said the teaching needs the best students and we should try to attract them by providing better salary and previledges.

Dr. Shamsher urges the government to form a committee of 5 experts to formulate a programs to develop ICT in education in Bangladesh.

We agree with proposal and hope that government will take necessary steps in this regard.

An ordinary citizen