Education startups face negative impression
Young entrepreneurs yesterday said that they face difficulties when trying to secure sponsorship and access guidance. There is also a prevailing negative attitude towards launching startups in the education sector, they added.
They made the remarks at a programme on challenges for and prospects of young entrepreneurs in education sector, organised by Center for Educational Research at Cirdap auditorium.
Discussants cited lack of innovative and skilled workforce in the education sector as the traditional education system is “exam-centric and rote learning based”.
Online education platform 10 Minute School's chief instructor Sakib Bin Rashid said that on the whole, for a new entrepreneur in education sector, securing sponsorship is very difficult.
“It is tough for new startups in education to generate revenue quickly; they need sponsorship to sustain,” he said.
Sakib, Onnorokom Pathshala entrepreneur Mahmudul Hasan Sohag and TechCare Technologies Limited founder Solehin Sagor all said that new startups face a general negative impression.
“Many allege that these [startups] are doing business in the name of providing education if they procure sponsorship,” Sakib said.
Solehin Sagor said that he has considered starting training for creating skilled workers but refrained as people term such training programmes “education business”.
Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology's CSE Professor M Kaykobad put emphasis on skill development and more innovative startups in the sector.
“Unfortunately our education system is not effective. It can hardly enlighten a person or help create positive change-makers,” he added.
AKM Fahim Mashroor, founder of bdjobs.com and ajkerdeal.com, said that every year at least three lakh people graduate but many of them remain unemployed. “These educated people can get involved in education start-ups,” he said.
Unicef Senior Education Advisor Chowdhury Mufad Ahmed, Prothom Alo Associate Editor Abdul Quaiyum and others also spoke at the programme moderated by Center for Educational Research Convener Munir Hasan.
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