Secondary Level Edn: Govt thinking of common syllabus

The government mulls abolishing the three streams -- science, humanities and business studies -- at the secondary level to equip students with the knowledge of all the three academic disciplines.

“We are considering to do away with the groups in classes IX and X,” Education Minister Dipu Moni said in parliament yesterday.

Such a move might mean there would be a common syllabus for the students.

Dipu Moni said studying all the subjects under the three disciplines would strengthen the foundation of the students’ education and that the pupils would be able to pick one of the groups in class-XI.

In this regard, the textbook curriculum of the secondary level was being upgraded, she said.

Currently, students have to choose one of the three academic disciplines in class-IX. Before that, students of the same class follow a common syllabus.

While replying to a question, the minister said the Education Act would be placed in parliament soon following approval at the cabinet.

Answering to another query, she said the government had set up Institutional Quality Assurance Cell (IQAC) at 37 public and 58 private universities to ensure quality education and assess performance of all departments and institutes in those universities.

“Institutional Quality Assurance Cell will be set up at all universities in phases,” she said.

In reply to a query from AL MP Shamima Akhtar Khanom, Dipu Moni said there were allegations that several educational institutions, enlisted under the government’s Monthly Payment Order (MPO), are named after controversial persons, including those who opposed the country’s birth during the 1971 Liberation War.  

The government has taken measures to change the names of those institutions, she said.

Meanwhile, State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Zakir Hossen told the House that the enrolment rate at the primary level school was 97.74 percent last year.

The government is working to ensure 100 percent enrolment rate, he added.